Hello Deep Look and Science Fans, If you’ve ever been snorkeling or scuba diving (one of my favorite hobbies), you know you can be sure to spot marine life around coral reefs. Despite looking like rocks, corals are actually invertebrate animals belonging to a fascinating group called Cnidaria, which also includes jellyfish and sea anemones. Corals come in many species and have two primary methods of reproduction: asexual and sexual. The latter often involves a spectacular process called broadcast spawning. The video I produced for Deep Look focuses on broadcast spawning, which is the amazing nighttime spectacle that most warm-water corals put on when they reproduce. The bundles of sperm and eggs they release make the ocean look like an underwater snow globe! So dive into this week’s newsletter to find out more about this incredible event.
When the conditions are just right, with the moon, sun and ocean temperatures in perfect sync, an underwater “snowstorm” occurs. Corals put on a massive spawning spectacle by sending tiny spherical bundles floating up the water column all at once.
Photo: Josh Cassidy/KQED
Three environmental signals prompt corals to start releasing their bundles. The warming summer waters cue the right month, the light from a waning moon cues the right day, and the setting sun cues the exact minute when corals release their bundles of eggs and sperm, all at the same time. The bundles then float up to the surface and burst open. See what happens next and find out how researchers at the California Academy of Sciences are working to grow corals, so more people can restore them to the oceans.
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DEEP FACTS
Cool Coral Wonders
Photo: Josh Cassidy/KQED
⚫ Over half of all known coral species are found in cold, deep and dark waters. 🌏 Some corals can live up to 5,000 years, making them the longest-living animals on Earth. 🐠 Coral reefs provide habitat for a quarter of marine life, including fish, crustaceans, mollusks, sea turtles, sponges and more. ❄️ Coral spawning is the primary mode of sexual reproduction for 75% of coral species in the world. ⚡ Chemical and light sensors on the backsides of coral larvae guide them to the perfect spot to settle down.
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Name That Critter
Did you know that each coral is made up of tiny individual animals called _______? Find out the answer at the bottom of this newsletter.
Photo: Josh Cassidy/KQED
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Science Stories You'll Love
Photo: Courtesy Lauren Dauphin via NASA Earth Observatory Images
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We hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter. Thank you for your support! Until next week! - The Deep Look Team Deep Look is KQED’s award-winning wildlife video series that reveals the tiny dramas playing out in the natural world. We’re a member-supported YouTube series from KQED and PBS Digital Studios. Learn more.
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Polyp! Each coral is a colony of hundreds of thousands of tiny individual animals called polyps. Every flower-shaped polyp has a soft body, a mouth and tentacles. Did you know that jellyfish also have an incredible way of reproducing? Find out more in our video: Watch Jellyfish Go Through Their “Stack of Pancakes” Phase. Photo: A close-up photo of multiple coral polyps which hold gamete bundles before releasing them.
