Coelenterate coral
Orange cup coral
Anthias swim near soft coral
Close-up of branching coral
Fluorescent coral in Palau
Wrasse in anchor coral
Close-up of coral reef
Coral in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Soft corals in Papua New Guinea
Soft coral in the western Pacific
Black coral
Flower coral
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Coelenterate Coral
Shelves of coral surround the Pacific island of Palau. Corals, small organisms related to anemones, secrete calcium carbonate, which hardens into an exoskeleton and over time forms reefs.
Photograph by Tim Laman, National Geographic

Coral Kingdoms

See coral kingdom photos, from National Geographic

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