Coral is an ecolygy they are tiny cup shaped animals called polyps they are related to jellyfish. A coral has a translucent tentacles and a mouth. It gathers food by waving its tentacles through the surrounding water to attract tiny wandering animals called zooplankton. Living polyps grow on a grave yard filled with countless skeletons of other polyps. When new polyps grow on the outer surface of coral reefs to expand and buffeting storms and coral desroying animals grind the coral rock into sand causing the reef to strink.

Images are courtesy of reefrelief.org & Janice Krauser from New River Middle