What is a Nudibranch?

Nudibranchs are Gastropods in the Phylum Mollusca Or, said another way, nudibranchs are mollusks in the Class Gastropoda, which includes snails, slugs, limpets and sea hairs. Many gastropods have a shell. Nudibranchs have a shell in their larval stage, but it disappears in the adult form. Gastropods also have a foot (more on that below) and all young gastropods undergo a process called torsion in their larval stage. In this process, the entire top... Read More

… Is your sunscreen killing corals?

According to a recent article in the National Geographic, four common sunscreen components can activate dormant viruses in coral’s symbiotic algae, known as zooxanthellae, which live within the reef’s tissues. These sunblock chemicals stimulate viral replication until coral’s zooxanthallae explode, releasing viruses into the surrounding seawater, where they can infect neighboring coral reef systems. It is thought that about 4,000 to 6,000 metric... Read More

World Oceans Day is Friday!

Often called “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They occupy less than 0.1% of the world’s ocean surface, yet they provide a home for 25% of all marine species! You can help spread the word about one some of the biggest threats to coral reefs, check out World Oceans Day webpage www.worldoceansday.org World Oceans Day is this Friday, June 8th!  What are you planning to do?  Read More

What is Coral?

Many people do not realize that coral is actually a creature. Most are under the impression that corals are rock or plant formations, but in fact Coral polyps are tiny animals that build protective calcium carbonate skeletons and form colonies that create the basic structure of reefs around the world. Coral reefs can be seen from space, yet individual coral polyps are some of the world’s simplest and smallest animals – some no bigger than... Read More

A Great Organization to Support!

Founded in 1994, the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is the only international organization working exclusively to unite communities to protect our planet’s coral reefs. They focus on three fundamental catalysts for change; marine protected areas (MPAs), marine recreation tourism and local communities. By engaging stakeholders from all three groups—MPA managers, marine tourism operators, and local residents—They work to build partnerships that establish... Read More