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HomeEducationCoralsHow Do Stony Corals Grow? What Forms Do They Take?

# How Stony Corals Grow

This animation  demonstrates how stony corals grow vertically. In the first frame we  see a coral polyp resting on its base, which is called the basal plate.  In the next frame we see the polyp’s tissues begin to lift up off the  basal plate, leaving an empty space beneath it (shown by dashed lines).  In the next frame, the polyp rises even higher, expanding the space  between it and the basal plate. In the final frame the polyp has  created a new basal plate to rest on, leaving an empty space between it  and the old basal plate. Using this method, a coral polyp can grow  anywhere from 1 to 10 millimeters per year, depending on the species  and surrounding environmental conditions.

### Corals Lessons

              - Welcome
              - What are Corals?
              - Zooxanthellae What's That?
              - How Do Stony Corals Grow?
              - How Do Coral Reefs Form?
              - Where Are Coral Reefs Found?
              - How Do Corals Reproduce?
              - Importance of Coral Reefs
              - Natural Threats to Coral Reefs
              - Anthropogenic Threats to Corals
              - Coral Diseases
              - Protecting Coral Reefs
              - References
              - Roadmap to Resources 
              - Subject Review (PDF)

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