How tiny corals build underwater cities!

How tiny corals build underwater cities!

September 2, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

This episode explores how tiny coral polyps build massive coral reefs with insights from marine scientist Dr. Mike Henley.

Did you know a coral reef, one of the largest structures ever built by a living creature, is made by an animal smaller than a grain of rice!? And that corals aren't plants or rocks at all, but tiny animals related to jellyfish and sea anemones!? In this episode, marine scientist Dr. Mike Henley from the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute joins Orbit to explore the underwater world of coral reefs! Learn how thousands of tiny coral polyps build a single reef, how cora...

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Guest: Dr. Mike Henley

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Places: coral reef

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