The extensive network of stepping-stones formed by simple corals and algae have allowed countless species to explore the ocean.

Over time a great bulk of plant and animal skeletons accumulate until the reef reaches the surface and can grow no further.

Space is scarce on a coral reef and many species have evolved ingenious tactics to secure the top spot.

One of nature’s greatest evolutionary achievements is the fusion of animal with plant. Creatures, such as the upside-down jellyfish and giant clam, use it to their advantage.

On a reef many creatures live together but the terms of the deal struck for shared lodging varies.

Why are there so many species on the reef? Over time, evolution has run wild!

The reef presents a wall of mouths to the sea. The most densely conpacted array of interconnected life on the planet.

The roles of grazers, scavengers and predators all ultimately depend on the bottom rung of the ladder….the plants.

In every drop of water, in every sea, is plankton. Fantastic shapes and forms living their lives unseen.

Tropical coral reefs contain more fish species than any other habitat. With such diversity, fish have become highly specialized in their diet and way of life.

Tiger sharks are the garbage collectors of the oceans. When you eat the dead there is no need to be in a hurry.

Different types of fish have very different ways of dealing with their eggs; some guard them fiercely, while others leave them to fend for themselves.

Ensuring there is another generation is a dangerous journey and finding a mate is the first step.

Corals simultaneously release eggs and sperm into the water column, where they meet, fertilize and settle, producing new individuals.

All over the reef immobile creatures are stirring. They use the rhythm of the solar system as their time keeper.

The instinct to mate affects all creatures. Flatworms and octopus let you in to secrets about mating in their worlds.

The onset of summer in the tropics triggers turtles to come on to land to lay their eggs.

Corals are colonies of tiny jelly-fish like animals, called polyps. Some secrete limestone skeletons and are the primary building blocks of the reef.

Follow the journey of a newly formed coral larva through the ocean currents to its final resting place.

By cloning itself multiple times, a tiny coral polyp can transform itself into an enormous colony.

Learn how these tiny animals construct huge and spectacular coral reefs.

On seaward slopes great ocean swells buffet the reef. Corals become compact and robust to resist the surge.

Some creatures have no need for light; they hunt by smell. Every species has its own witching hour.

The daytime creatures are seeking shelter for the day ahead at the same time as the night shift is making its way out on to the reef.