Paleo Slide Set: Coral Paleoclimatology:Natural Record of Climate change for High School Student
Branching coral(Pocillopora damicornis) from the Gulf of Panama (8N, 79W).

From a distance, corals such as this branching coral, appear to be one organism.
 When we take a closer look however, we see that corals are comprised of colonies of minute organisms 
called polyps. Polyps live in coral colonies and form large groups that are connected and are very 
similar to each other in appearance. The colonies make up the coral and many corals make up structures 
called reefs. The polyps in this photo of the branching coral look like tiny bushes. 

Photo Credits:
Jerry Wellington 
Department of Biology, University of Houston