Zooplankton feeding by corals underestimated

Research by marine biologists from Wageningen University has shown that feeding on zooplankton by scleractinian corals has been greatly underestimated.

Octocorals found to be reef builders

Scientists from Taiwan and Israel have found that octocorals are important reef builders. This exciting discovery makes us rethink the very nature of coral reefs.

Flatworms compete with corals for zooplankton

Epizoic coral flatworms have been found to compete with their coral host for zooplankton. This finding is in agreement with the theory that symbiotic coral flatworms are parasitic.

Small polyps do capture zooplankton

Small polyped stony corals are often believed to simply rely on strong lighting and dissolved nutrients. But even these corals capture significant amounts of plankton.

In PDF

Written by Tim Wijgerde

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Available articles:

Inside a coral lab

Coral reefs, an introduction

How coral reefs grow

Coral calcification found to be declining

How corals feed

Coral reproduction - part I: Biology

Coral reproduction - part II: Challenges and future perspectives

The Coral Triangle

Coral reef ecology

Coral taxonomy

Herbivory and coral reef health