Baby corals go house-hunting, gaining swimming skills as they grow
Coral reefs are beautiful and important, both for humans and for marine biodiversity. Corals are living creatures, although they appear to remain fixed in one place, catching small crustaceans and other tasty morsels that drift past.
Corals, despite appearing stationary, possess free-swimming larvae that embark on a house-hunting journey to find suitable habitats. These larvae, akin to young coral babies, demonstrate remarkable swimming skills and sensory capabilities as they mature. Dr. Marte Lønnum, a doctoral candidate at NTNU's Department of Biology, conducted research published in iScience, uncovering how larval behavior and anatomy change with age and species.
Younger larvae exhibit limited swimming abilities, while older larvae showcase complex patterns of movement. Both cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa and sea anemone Nematostella vectensis display unique dispersal strategies, reflecting their distinct ecological niches. Understanding the developmental stages and adaptations of these larval stages is vital for coral conservation efforts and the establishment of new coral reefs.
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