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Coral Reef

A small forest of yellow sea rods and purple sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) drift in the current at Playa Melones,...
An underwater image of a small forest of yellow sea rods and purple sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) drift in the current at Playa Melones, Puerto Rico. Between the fans on the right, a small colony of Clubtip finger coral (Porites porites) peeks through.
A small forest of yellow sea rods and purple sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) drift in the current at Playa Melones,...
An underwater image of a small forest of yellow sea rods and purple sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) drift in the current at Playa Melones, Puerto Rico. Between the fans on the right, a small colony of Clubtip finger coral (Porites porites) peeks through.
A small forest of yellow sea rods and purple sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) drift in the current at Playa Melones,...
An underwater image of a small forest of yellow sea rods and purple sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) drift in the current at Playa Melones, Puerto Rico. Between the fans on the right, a small colony of Clubtip finger coral (Porites porites) peeks through.
A square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above...
An underwater photo of a square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above a sandy sea floor dotted with sea grass. Conservationists anchor loose pieces of coral in to a frame such as this one, which is then moved to an area with clean water and lots of light for the corals to grow. After 10-14 months, when the corals have quadrupled in size, they are replanted in various reefs to strengthen vulnerable and damaged areas. This particular frame belongs to the Sociedad Ambiente Marino, and is one of 145 coral farms the organization manages in and around Puerto Rico.
A square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above...
An underwater photo of a square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above a sandy sea floor dotted with sea grass. Conservationists anchor loose pieces of coral in to a frame such as this one, which is then moved to an area with clean water and lots of light for the corals to grow. After 10-14 months, when the corals have quadrupled in size, they are replanted in various reefs, to strengthen vulnerable and damaged areas. This particular frame belongs to the Sociedad Ambiente Marino, and is one of about 145 coral farms the organization manages in and around Puerto Rico.
A square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above...
An underwater image of a square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above a sandy sea floor dotted with sea grass and fuzzy balls of cyanobacteria. This particular frame belongs to the Sociedad Ambiente Marino, a marine conservation organization that takes loose coral and anchors them into coral farms such as this one, to grow and mature before being replanted into damaged or vulnerable reefs. The cyanobacteria littering the sea floor is unnatural; likely caused by a land-based source of pollution leaching into nearby waters.
A square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above...
An underwater photo of a square frame of roughly 100 elkhorn and staghorn corals drifts in the water of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, above a sandy sea floor dotted with sea grass and fuzzy balls of cyanobacteria. This particular frame belongs to the Sociedad Ambiente Marino, a marine conservation organization that takes loose coral and anchors them into coral farms such as this one, to grow and mature before being replanted into damaged or vulnerable reefs. The cyanobacteria littering the sea floor is unnatural; likely caused by a land-based source of pollution leaching into nearby waters.
Juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a dead colony of pillar coral (Dendrogyra...
An underwater photo of a Juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a dead colony of golden colored pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus), now covered in various algae, in the waters of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico.
A common purple sea fan (Gorgonia ventalina) waves in the current at Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, next to yellow fire...
An underwater photo of a purple sea fan (Gorgonia ventalina) waves in the current at Playa Melones, Puerto Rico, next to yellow fire corals (Millepora complanata and Millepora alcicornis). On the bottom left are pale yellow encrusting zoanthids Palythoa caribaeorum, which are very similar to corals but do not form a calcium carbonate skeleton.
Juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a reef, composed of yellow fire coral...
An underwater image of a Juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a reef, composed of yellow fire coral (Millepora complanate, back left), branching finger coral (Porites furcate, front left), and various species of sea rods and sea fans. This coral reef sits in the waters of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico.
Juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a reef, composed of yellow fire coral...
An underwater image of a juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a reef, composed of yellow fire coral (Millepora complanate, back left), branching finger coral (Porites furcate, front left), and various species of sea rods and sea fans. This coral reef sits in the waters of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico.
Juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a reef, composed of yellow fire coral...
An underwater image of a juvenile black, white, and yellow-striped Bluehead wrasse fish dart in and out of a reef, composed of yellow fire coral (Millepora complanate, back left), branching finger coral (Porites furcate, front left), and various species of sea rods and sea fans. This coral reef sits in the waters of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico.
Clumps of turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) sit on the ocean floor of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico. This particular section of...
An underwater image of clumps of dark green turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) sit on the ocean floor of Playa Melones, Puerto Rico. This particular section of turtle grass was one of many places transplanted by researchers and volunteers of the Sociedad Ambiente Marino, to repopulate areas that were heavily impacted by numerous hurricanes and heavy storms, including 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria. The purpose is not only to recolonize these areas with native turtle grasses, but also to provide habitat for the other organisms that live in these ecosystems, such as the Caribbean queen conch, sea urchins, sea turtles, and fishes.