Rhian Waller, 5’3”, poses next to a colony of Primnoa pacifica for scale, while Cheryl Morrison collects tissue samples for genetic analysis. This colony was collected to determine its age and provide more information about growth rates in Glacier Bay National Park. Samples from this coral will also be used for reproduction and isotope analysis to better understand how these corals are interacting with their environment and how the populations have developed in the bay.
Red Tree Coral Size Comparison
Image courtesy of Dann Blackwood, the Deepwater Exploration of Glacier Bay National Park expedition. Download larger version (jpg, 9.1 MB).

Rhian Waller, 5’3&rduo;, poses next to a colony of Primnoa pacifica for scale, while Cheryl Morrison collects tissue samples for genetic analysis. This colony was collected to determine its age and provide more information about growth rates in Glacier Bay National Park. Samples from this coral will also be used for reproduction and isotope analysis to better understand how these corals are interacting with their environment and how the populations have developed in the bay.

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