back banner NOAA Home Page Ocean Explorer Home Page

back arrow Back

Other formats available (will launch in separate window):

Quicktime, 320x240, 1.1 Mb
Windows Media, 320x240, 1.1 Mb
Windows Media, 160x120, 612 Kb


You may need to download: Quicktime | Windows Media


A coral colony is a collection of hundreds of tiny polyps, arranged in precise geometric patterns. The organization of the polyps along the branch creates small-scale turbulence, which helps to deliver microscopic food particles to the polyps' tentacles.


Related Links


E-mail Updates | User Survey | Report Error On This Page | Site Index | Contact Us
Revised July 12, 2005 by the Ocean Explorer Webmaster
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | U.S. Department of Commerce
NOAA Logo Commerce Logo
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03mountains/logs/jul17/media/coralpolyp.html