How Does Coral Get Its Color?
Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most reef-building corals live in clear, shallow waters that are penetrated by sunlight. The algae also give a coral its color; coral polyps are actually transparent, so the color of the algae inside the polyps show through.Jul 15, 2021
What makes corals colorful?
Colorful corals contain symbiotic algae, or zooxanthellae, which are brownish or green because of the photosynthetic pigment called “chlorophyll”. The chlorophyll is responsible for the brown or green coloration. … These pigments can appear red, purple, blue, mauve or other colors.
