The article showcases the vibrant and intricate nature of coral reefs, emphasizing how corals, despite appearing plant-like, are actually animals. These coral polyps create extensive limestone structures that form the backbone of the reefs, housing countless species. Over time, these reefs have developed into extraordinary ecosystems, supporting around a billion people globally. Notably, coral reefs thrive in nutrient-poor environments due to their symbiotic relationships with microbes, highlighting their status as holobionts — integrated organisms where corals and microbes work together to flourish in challenging conditions.
There's nowhere else where you will encounter such density and diversity of life. Corals, as architects of these reefs, perform feats of biological engineering.
Coral polyps are invertebrates that create reefs from limestone. Their lives intertwine with invisible microbes, making them a collective organism known as a holobiont.
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