News in Brief Oceans

Coral larvae feed on their baby fat

Symbiotic algae are prime nutrition source for adults only, study finds

P. damicornis

BABY FAT  Young cauliflower corals may rely on fat reserves, not algae, for food and therefore could be less sensitive to bleaching than adult corals (shown here), researchers propose.

 

 

Ahmed Abdul Rahman/Wikimedia Commons

By Cassie Martin

- More than 2 years ago

For corals, baby fat is food. Coral mothers send their offspring into the world with a balanced meal of fat and algae, but baby corals mainly chew the fat, new research finds.