Photo of the day

Often mistaken for plants, corals are known as “sessile” animals, taking root in the ocean floor with a rich, garden-like biodiversity. “Stony” corals build a hard outer skeleton of calcium carbonate, with limestone clinging to the thousands of tiny living creatures called “polyps” to create what we recognise as coral today. Reefs can take up to 10,000 years to form from coral larvae, becoming the oldest living animals in the world 🌊 💛