News in Brief Oceans

Corals need to take their vitamin C

Dose needed for larvae to build stony skeleton, gene activity shows

mustard hill corals

VITAMIN CORAL  Mustard hill corals use vitamin C when building their skeletons, just like humans do, researchers propose.

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By Thomas Sumner

- More than 2 years ago

NEW ORLEANS — Hard corals may need a dose of vitamin C when building their stony skeletons. New research finds that when free-floating coral larvae settle down and calcify their skeletons, genes associated with the transport of vitamin C get busy.