Brain corals get their name from the folds and turns in the coral skeleton. The diversity of fish and other reef organisms rival tropical rainforests. Florida Keys 1972 May 128. Bioerosion of coral reefs makes them brittle and susceptible to collapse. Like corals, glass sponges are also partly composed of calcareous material.
Staghorn corals form the forests of the reef.
The lights of the camera bring out the brilliant colors of the reef. Sponges, corals and many other attached species compete for space on the reef. This temperate reef off North Carolina has hard corals and tropical fish. Coastal North Carolina 1993 August 134. Scientists study reefs for many reasons, economic and ecologic.