Corals - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Skip to content
About the Hub
About the Ocean Learning Hub
Support Our Mission
For the classroom
Discover content by grade, subject, NGSS, and more to quickly customize lessons.
Advanced Search
Ocean Topics
Climate & Weather
How the Ocean Works
Ocean & Human Lives
Ocean Life
Ocean Tech
Sustainable Ocean
Multimedia
Infographics
Illustrations
Interactives
Images
Videos
Maps
Ocean Facts
Did You Know?
Ocean Fact Checker
Creature Features
Trending Topics:
How the Ocean Works
Ocean Zones
Twilight Zone
Cycles
Biological Carbon Pump
Click on
advanced search
to customize your results by grade, subject, and educational standards.
Corals
In this section
Information
Topics
Related Articles
Ocean Topics
Climate & Weather
Abrupt Climate Change
Ocean-Based Climate Solutions
Coastal Restoration & Blue Carbon
Iron Fertilization
Ocean Alkalinity
Seaweed Cultivation
Climate Change
Ocean Warming
Paleoclimatology
Sea Level Rise
How the Ocean Works
Coastal Science
Changing Shorelines & Erosion
Groundwater
Rivers, Estuaries, & Deltas
Cycles
Biological Carbon Pump
Carbon Cycle
Water Cycle
Frozen Ocean
Glaciers & Ice Sheets
Sea Ice
Ocean Chemistry
Biogeochemistry
Ocean Acidification
Oxygen Dead Zones
Ocean Circulation
AMOC—The Atlantic Ocean’s conveyor belt
Arctic Ocean Circulation
Currents, Gyres, & Eddies
El Niño & Other Oscillations
Ocean Zones
Sunlit Zone
Twilight Zone
Midnight Zone
Abyssal Zone
Hadal Zone
Ocean-Atmosphere Connection
Seafloor & Below
Hydrothermal Vents
Mid-ocean Ridges
Natural Oil Seeps
Seamounts
Ocean Trenches
Underwater Volcanoes
Ocean & Human Lives
Harmful Algae & Red Tides
Natural Disasters
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Tsunamis
Ocean Culture & History
Pollution
Beach Closures
Oil Spills
Marine Microplastics
Radiation
Underwater Archaeology
Air France Flight 447
Antikythera Shipwreck
RMS Titanic
Stellwagen Bank
Ocean Life
Corals
Coral Stressors
Dating Corals, Knowing the Ocean
Deep-sea Corals
Reef Ecosystems
Reef Fish
Ecosystems
Benthic Life
Coastal Ecosystems
Life at Vents & Seeps
Polar Life
Environmental DNA (eDNA)
Jellyfish & Other Zooplankton
Marine Mammals
Seal Facts
Right Whales
Marine Microbes
Ocean Plants
Phytoplankton
Seagrass Meadows
Seabirds
Emperor Penguins
Sharks & Other Fish
Shellfish
Sustainable Ocean
Aquaculture
Fisheries
Marine Protected Areas
Offshore Wind
Seafloor Mining
Ocean Tech
Acoustics
Imaging
Moorings & Buoys
Ocean Modeling
Ocean Observatories
Ships
Underwater Vehicles
Learn
Multimedia
[ SEARCH FOR Corals ]
Corals
Coral Stressors
Deep-sea Corals
Dating Corals, Knowing the Ocean
Reef Ecosystems
Reef Fish
Ecosystems
Benthic Life
Coastal Ecosystems
Life at Vents & Seeps
Polar Life
The Watery World of Salps
Environmental DNA (eDNA)
Jellyfish & Other Zooplankton
Plankton, By Any Other Name
Marine Mammals
Seal Facts
Right Whales
Right Whale FAQs
Marine Microbes
Ocean Plants
Phytoplankton
Seagrass Meadows
Seabirds
Emperor Penguins
Sharks & Other Fish
Shark Facts
Shellfish
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Reef-building corals create habitats for many other organisms. Coral reefs are highly diverse and unique around the world, providing shelter and sustenance for abundant fishes and other marine life. (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Many people think of coral as hard, rock-like formations that attract abundant, diverse marine life. In fact, corals are themselves tiny marine animals called polyps that live together in large colonies.
Coral polyps are relatives of jellyfish and anemones. Some live in shallow water, some in deep; some form hard outer skeletons made of calcium carbonate, others have a soft body encasing hard internal structures known as sclerites. Hundreds of thousands of hard corals with their skeletons glued together form the iconic reef structures that do, indeed, serve as the foundation for important marine ecosystems around the world.
All Topics on Corals
Coral Stressors
Stressors can affect organisms living on the reef or they can affect the corals, themselves. When corals die, other organisms must relocate or struggle to survive.
Dating Corals, Knowing the Ocean
Coral is a useful tool for scientists who want to understand changes in past climate, but recalling that history presents its own set of challenges.
Deep-sea Corals
When most people think of corals, they think of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, but deep in the ocean much smaller coral formations lie past the point where light penetrates.
Reef Ecosystems
A healthy reef protects coastlines from wave damage, plays a critical role in providing food, boosts the economy, and provides materials for pharmaceuticals.
Reef Fish
Fish that inhabit a coral reef play essential roles in the reef ecosystem, and reefs without fish struggle to recover from bleaching or other events that damage the coral.
Video
Multimedia | Corals
Can multivitamins help save coral reefs?
Video
Multimedia | Coastal Ecosystems
How do corals form colonies?
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Acidification
Calcium carbonate skeleton formation
Illustration
Multimedia | Phytoplankton
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning cycle
Illustration
Multimedia | Corals
Coral reef deterioration stages
Video
Multimedia | Corals
WHOI’s Amy Apprill "speaks for the reefs" at COP28
Image
Multimedia | Corals
Coral Landscape
Image
Multimedia | Reef Ecosystems
Did you know ocean robots use AI?
Video
Multimedia | Corals
Digital Reefs: Enabling the Industrial Metaverse with MIT Technology Review
Video
Multimedia | Corals
Coral reef discovered in the Galápagos Marine Reserve with Alvin
Video
Multimedia | Reef Ecosystems
Boston/New England Regional Emmy® Award Nominations
Video
Multimedia | Reef Ecosystems
Hope for Corals in Crisis
Video
Multimedia | Reef Ecosystems
Give Reefs a Chance
Video
Multimedia | Coral Stressors
Can we use sound to build back reefs?
Video
Multimedia | Corals
Ocean Encounters: Giving Reefs a Chance
Articles Related to Corals
[ ALL ]
From
Oceanus
Magazine
January 27, 2026
From ruin to reef
January 12, 2026
As the ocean warms, a science writer looks for coral solutions
December 19, 2025
How an MIT-WHOI student used Google Earth to uncover a river–coral reef connection
November 19, 2025
Inside the Solomon Islands’ hidden mega coral — a 300-year-old ocean giant
November 3, 2025
Reef RX
January 23, 2025
Five marine animals that call shipwrecks home
November 22, 2024
A gift for ocean research
June 20, 2024
Counting on Corals
June 13, 2024
A cascade of life
May 24, 2024
5 unlikely ocean friendships
May 18, 2023
Can Sound Help Save Coral Reefs?
September 1, 2022
An aquatic outbreak
June 16, 2022
4 Potential Solutions for Corals in Crisis
June 4, 2022
Hope for Corals in Crisis
May 24, 2022
Reef architects
[ ALL ]
News Releases
March 2, 2026
WHOI scientist joins global Tara Coral expedition to unlock secrets of climate-resilient reefs
January 20, 2026
Seawater microbes offer new, non-invasive way to detect coral disease, WHOI-led study finds
May 16, 2025
Seawater microbes are a powerful tool for diagnosing coral reef health and strengthening conservation efforts, according to new paper
March 11, 2025
‘Fishial’ recognition: Neural network identifies coral reef sounds
December 19, 2024
New study highlights the correlation between live corals and fishing yields
October 15, 2024
Ship-mounted camera systems increase protections for marine mammals
October 2, 2024
New funding will boost vital reef restoration work
July 16, 2024
WHOI and the University of the Virgin Islands extend Partnership
June 10, 2024
WHOI Scientists ‘read’ the messages in chemical clues left by coral reef inhabitants
April 5, 2024
Study: eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health
March 13, 2024
Sonic Youth: Healthy Reef Sounds Increase Coral Settlement
December 4, 2023
New Study: Deep Sea Sensor Reveals That Corals Produce Reactive Oxygen Species
November 1, 2023
Scientists Discover Additional Healthy Deep-sea Coral Reefs and New Seamounts in the Galápagos
September 21, 2023
Innovative Techniques Provide New Means to Monitor Coral Reef Health
April 17, 2023
Scientists Aboard R/V
Atlantis
Discover Deep-Sea Coral Reefs in the Galápagos
[ ALL ]
News & Insights
February 10, 2025
Valentine’s Day Courtship Tips from the Ocean
April 24, 2023
Recognizing Massachusetts Right Whale Day
October 6, 2022
What happens to natural gas in the ocean?
June 10, 2021
Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Getting Smaller, New Research Finds
May 10, 2021
Rare Drone video shows critically endangered North Atlantic right whales
February 9, 2021
WHOI working to address ocean acidification; protect region’s vital shellfish industry
December 1, 2020
Unicorns of the Arctic face a new potential threat
November 10, 2020
WHOI working to help save critically endangered North Atlantic right whales
October 19, 2020
For Mark Baumgartner, Whale Safe is the natural evolution of WHOI’s work with passive acoustics
September 30, 2020
Listening to fish with passive acoustics
September 10, 2020
Deciphering the Impacts of a Changing Ocean on Scallop Fisheries
August 20, 2020
Specialized camera system gives unprecedented view of ocean life
August 6, 2020
Scientists and fishermen team up to film seals in fishing nets
July 14, 2020
Jellyfish larger than blue whales?
July 8, 2020
Teaming up for right whales
[ ALL ]
WHOI in the News
April 5, 2024
eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health
March 29, 2024
Harnessing the power of sound for coral reef restoration
March 18, 2024
There’s a difference between the sound of a healthy coral reef and a degraded reef
March 12, 2024
Scientists are using underwater speakers to help restore degraded coral reefs
January 19, 2024
Even ‘Twilight Zone’ Coral Reefs Aren’t Safe from Bleaching
July 31, 2023
Connecticut coral could play a key role in climate resilience
July 27, 2023
UVI and UTA scientists uncover new insights on stony coral disease affecting U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
July 25, 2023
Galápagos discovery offers clues to climate impact on deep-sea corals
July 16, 2023
How scientists are using fish music to protect coral reefs
April 24, 2023
See the Pristine Coral Reefs Found off the Galápagos Islands
April 4, 2023
Researchers propose a new technology-centered focus to study and conserve coral reefs
April 3, 2023
While One Iconic Kelp Forest Faces An Incredible Decline, Another Offers A Glimmer Of Hope
January 24, 2023
The Mystery of the Healthy Coral Reef
Coral Species That Withstand Ocean Warming Identified
Palau’s Rock Islands Harbor Heat-Resistant Corals
[ ALL ]
Features
Reef Ecosystems
A healthy reef protects coastlines from wave damage, plays a critical role in providing food, boosts the economy, and provides…
Coral Stressors
Stressors can affect organisms living on the reef or they can affect the corals, themselves. When corals die, other organisms…
Reef Fish
Fish that inhabit a coral reef play essential roles in the reef ecosystem, and reefs without fish struggle to recover…
Dating Corals, Knowing the Ocean
Coral is a useful tool for scientists who want to understand changes in past climate, but recalling that history presents…
Deep-sea Corals
When most people think of corals, they think of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, but deep in the ocean…
Dating Corals, Knowing the Ocean
Coral is a useful tool for scientists who want to understand changes in past climate, but recalling that history presents…
Related Links
Assessing the Impacts
SCIENCE IN A TIME OF CRISIS—A video feature on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s marine life.
Climate Group
SCIENCE IN A TIME OF CRISIS—A video feature on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s marine life.
Cohen Lab
SCIENCE IN A TIME OF CRISIS—A video feature on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s marine life.
Fish Ecology Laboratory
SCIENCE IN A TIME OF CRISIS—A video feature on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s marine life.
Marine Microbiology – Apprill Lab
SCIENCE IN A TIME OF CRISIS—A video feature on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s marine life.
Molecular Ecology & Evolution Lab
SCIENCE IN A TIME OF CRISIS—A video feature on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico’s marine life.
Expedition to the Phoenix Islands Protected Area
September 11 to September 26, 2009
Super Reefs
Ensuring today’s coral reefs for tomorrow.
Related Topics
Coral Stressors
Dating Corals, Knowing the Ocean
Deep-sea Corals
Reef Ecosystems
Reef Fish
A-Z Listing of Topics
Abrupt Climate Change
Abyssal Zone
Acoustics
Air France Flight 447
Algae
Alvin
Antikythera Shipwreck
Aquaculture
Arctic Ocean Circulation
Beach Closures
Benthic Life
Biofuel
Biogeochemistry
Biological Carbon Pump
Blue Economy
Carbon Cycle
Carbon Dioxide Removal
Changing Shorelines & Erosion
Climate & Weather
Climate Change
Coastal Ecosystems
Coastal Ocean
Coastal Restoration & Blue Carbon
Coral Stressors
Corals
Currents, Gyres, & Eddies
Cycles
Data Mules
Deepsea Challenger
Earthquakes
Ecosystems
eDNA
El Niño & Other Oscillations
Emperor Penguins
Fisheries
Frozen Ocean
Fukushima Radiation
Glaciers & Ice Sheets
Groundwater
Hadal Zone
Harmful Algae & Red Tides
How the Ocean Works
Human Health
Hurricanes
Hydrothermal Vents
Imaging
Iron Fertilization
Jason
Jellyfish & Other Zooplankton
Life at Vents & Seeps
Marine Mammals
Marine Microbes
Marine Microplastics
Marine Protected Areas
Mesobot
Mid-ocean Ridges
Midnight Zone
Moorings & Buoys
Natural Disasters
Natural Oil Seeps
Networked Ocean
Ocean & Human Lives
Ocean Acidification
Ocean Alkalinity
Ocean Chemistry
Ocean Circulation
Ocean Culture & History
Ocean Life
Ocean Modeling
Ocean Observatories
Ocean Plants
Ocean Tech
Ocean Trenches
Ocean Warming
Ocean Zones
Ocean-Atmosphere Connection
Ocean-Based Climate Solutions
Offshore Wind
Oil Spills
Oxygen Dead Zones
Paleoclimatology
Phytoplankton
Polar Life
Pollution
Radiation
Reef Ecosystems
Reef Fish
Right Whales
Rivers, Estuaries, & Deltas
RMS Titanic
Sea Birds
Sea Ice
Sea Level Rise
Seafloor & Below
Seafloor Mining
Seagrass
Seagrass Meadows
Seals
Seamounts
Seaweed
Seaweed Culture
Sentry
Sharks & Other Fish
Shellfish
Ships
Stellwagen Bank
Storms, Floods & Droughts
Sunlit Zone
Sustainable Ocean
The Ocean Conveyor
Tsunamis
Twilight Zone
Underwater Archaeology
Underwater Vehicles
Underwater Volcanoes
Water Cycle
SEARCH ALL TOPICS
Scroll To Top