How does a coral polyp reproduce?
When coral polyps are first born they are produced by tiny fertilized eggs. The eggs can be fertilized inside a parent coral polyp or outside the parent after the egg has been released from the parent to drift away in the sea. After eggs are released into water they develop into free-swimming larvae. These larvae settle to the bottom in a few hours and if the conditions are right they will grow into polyps. After coral polyps have established themselves and are healthy they will reproduce by budding. Budding is when a part of the parent polyps splits off and becomes a new polyp. Budding is how coral colonies grow larger. The first polyp splits and makes two, two split and make four, four make eight, eight make sixteen, and so on. What are the six things most corals need to survive and grow? 1. Sunlight. 2. Salt water. 3. Warm water. (Reef building corals need water temperatures 68ºF-82ºF, 20ºC-28ºC.) 4. Clear, clean water. (Dirty water can block sunlight. Sediments can also choke coral
