What you'll learn

• 1 (08:01) **Introduction and What is a Coral?** - Shayle Matsuda arrives and they define cnidarians as animals with stinging cells (nematocysts). Corals are animals that build a calcium carbonate skeleton and host symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) inside their tissues, providing up to 95% of their nutrition.
• 2 (12:17) **Coral Skeletons, Poaching, and 3D Printing** - The white, decorative coral sold in stores is just the skeleton. Poaching for jewelry and decor is a major problem.
• 3 (14:17) **Shayle’s Journey into Marine Biology** - Shayle describes his non-traditional path: from studying environmental policy and women's studies, to traveling, learning to scuba dive in Thailand (where he saw both beauty and trash), to volunteering in Mexico and at the California Academy of Sciences, and finally entering a PhD program.
• 4 (19:33) **What It’s Like to Dive on a Reef** - Diving on a healthy reef is like exploring a "metropolis" full of diverse life. Even as a researcher, Shayle can get lost staring at a single coral colony.
• 5 (21:44) **Coral Bleaching: The Mechanism** - Under temperature stress, corals expel their symbiotic algae (which provide color and food), turning white and beginning to starve. This is a stress response, similar to a human fever.
• 6 (26:51) **What is a Coral Polyp?** - A coral polyp is a single animal with a mouth and tentacles. A coral colony is made of thousands of genetically identical polyps (clones).
• 7 (29:15) **Stinging Cells, Predators, and Genetics** - Corals use stinging cells to catch plankton (like a Venus flytrap). Parrotfish are a known predator.

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