When you think of corals, you may think of bright, colourful, plant-like creatures, branching out beneath tropical waters and sandy-white shoals. But corals — which are animals, related to sea-anemones and jellyfish — are far more diverse than you might expect, especially as we sink into the depths of colder, darker waters.

Some corals grow alone as individual polyps while others form colonies of hundreds or thousands of polyps. Over many years, these colonies can grow to form coral reefs. Specifically, cold-water corals come in many shapes and sizes from the stony scleractians to the bendy bamboo corals. These coral colonies additionally provide a home for many other animal species and we are beginning to understand more about the biodiversity of these coral ecosystems. Within the Corals pages, you can find out about cold-water corals, the different habitats that occur around coral reefs and the animals that inhabit these areas. There are also case studies of individual reef areas from around the world, with detailed images and breathtaking movies. Dive in!