Biochemistry

Corals are brightly colored marine invertebrates composed of sac-like polyps that produce calcium carbonate which bind individual organisms together creating colonies called coral reefs. They are commonly named the “rainforest of the ocean” because of the unique biodiversity of species that the reef’s ecosystem supports. However, coral reefs would not be able to survive without the symbiotic relationship between the coral’s skeletons and marine plankton called dinoflagellates which create energy for the coral (Roth et al.).