Explainer: What are corals?

Explainer: What are corals?

Take a plunge into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and you’ll come face to face with a what looks like a gorgeous rocky garden. This dazzling array of corals is the largest living structure on Earth. Some, like staghorn coral, look like leafless bushes sprouting from the ocean floor. Others, such as honeycomb coral, resemble rocks dotted with tiny holes. Then there’s brain coral, which, you guessed it, look like brains. And that’s just a small s…