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May 10, 2021: Spiral Coral

This beautiful spiral coral, observed during the Gulf of Mexico 2012 expedition, provided a home to both a shrimp and a crinoid.

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico Expedition 2012. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).

This beautiful spiral coral, observed during the Gulf of Mexico 2012 expedition, provided a home to both a shrimp and a crinoid. By getting up higher in the water column, the shrimp and crinoid likely have better access to food and are safer from predators. Learn more about symbiotic relationships between animals in the ocean in this ocean fact.