This morning I was reading the NOAA Educational Newsletter and Kelly Drinnen, the coordinator for the Flower Gardens National Marine Sactuary and she had an interesting article on just what is coral. In it she writes “Steve Palumbi of Stanford University gives it his best shot with this great 3-minute Microdoc in which he explains that corals are, among other things, tiny animals that make skeletons big enough to be seen from outer space. We love this; it makes the underwater world a bit easier to understand, which we think is essential for conservation.” In the video, Dr. Palumbi explains coral and a coral reef using a coffee cup, a glass and a plumaria flower. He also cuts back to underwater scenes to demonstrate his points. I have to admit is is a very effective way to explain the nature of this small animal. You should watch it…it is only about 3 minutes long.