Title
Conservation Photography: Second Place
Date Taken
2016
Category
Conservation
Preview
Description
"Swallowed Whole"
A common coral predator, the bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) feeds on the tissue of various coral species. They feed by engulfing an entire branch into their buccal cavity and removing the tissue from the skeleton. Here a massive fireworm engulfs a fragment of staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) at the Coral Restoration Foundation's offshore nursery in the Florida Keys. The impacts of these coral predators are one of the many challenges faced by coral restoration projects.
Disciplines
Marine Biology | Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
Keywords
Staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, restoration, fireworm, Hermodice
Comments
Educational use only, no other permissions given. U.S. and international copyright laws may protect this item. Commercial use or distribution of this digital object is not permitted without written permission of the photographer.