Coral Reefs: Zooplankton & Polyp Feeding
Coral reefs, vibrant ecosystems teeming with life, depend on a fascinating feeding process where coral polyps, the individual animals, utilize specialized stinging cells called nematocysts to capture zooplankton. These microscopic organisms drift through the water, becoming a crucial food source that supplements the energy the coral receives from symbiotic algae known as zooxanthellae. The intricate … Read more