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Hanging on

At the edge of a coral reef in the Red Sea, an isolated leather coral clings to a rocky outcrop. It’s individual polyps, tightly curled in the photo, open up in currents to filter-feed on drifting plankon. WHOI scientists are studying pristine reefs in the waters off Saudi Arabia, assessing their health and biodiversity, connectivity, and effects of past and current climate change. Photos of these reefs are featured in the WHOI 2009 calendar, now available at the online WHOI store.
(Photo by Konrad Hughen, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)