A gorgonian fan coral (Acabaria splendens), with its many eight-tentacled polyps extended to catch passing micro-plankton. These colonies of tiny delicate animals, living in their brightly coloured communal skeletons, serve to illustrate the fragility and beauty of tropical and sub-tropical coral reefs. Very sadly, such reefs are dying; over a quarter have been reduced to rubble during the last twenty years. This trend is continuing. They are the most vulnerable of our planet's ecosystems, as they have very limited capacities to adapt to rising temperatures and acidification. Egyptian Red Sea.

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Size: 4010px × 2819px
Location: Near Hurghada, Egypt
Photo credit: © Terence Dormer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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