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The vertical life

Red Sea coral communities thrive on vertical walls at the reef’s edge, where individual coral colonies compete for access to sunlight and food-carrying currents. The shapes of the colonies change with depth, becoming flatter for maximum exposure to light. WHOI scientists are studying coral reef ecosystems off the coast of Saudi Arabia, through a collaborative partnership with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Photos from this region are featured in the 2009 WHOI wall calendar, available now through the WHOI store.(Photo by Konrad Hughen, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)