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Coral
Palau

Palau

Coral with its tentacles exposed and polyp mouths visible.

Incredibly well camouflaged, this Pitted Ceratosoma nudibranch (Ceratosoma miamiranum) would not have been seen had it not moved.

Male Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) displaying in an effort to attract mates to spawn at dusk.

Pair of Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus) hover head down over a digitate Porites coral.

School of small Sangi Cardinalfish (Apogon thermalis) was a novel sight on a shallow dive.

Segented Blenny (Salarias segmentatus) peers inquisitively before darting away.

Swarm of brilliantly colored Chromis damselfish seek protection withing this Pocillopora coral.

The ghastly appearance of the Spiny Devilfish (Inimicus didactylus).

Graham Kolodziej mugs for a photo behind a cluster of feather stars.

Mermaid-like Grace Frank collects a Crown-of-thorns Seastar.

Mounding Porites mix with digitate Porites and branching Acropora colonies.

While the reef at 20m was relatively baren with extremely poor visibility a riot of color awaited us in the shallows.

Despite the murky conditions a multi-hued coral garden of Acropora corals brings color to the dive.

Reaching up to near the surface a grove of Porites lobata mounds mix with the branching Acroporas.

Juvenile lionfish (Pterois volitans) seem to grow into their pectoral fins like puppies grow into their ears.

A Reef Lizardfish (Synodus variegatus) staring out at the reef.

A school of Yellowtail Barracuda (Barracuda obtusata) swim past on the reef.

$Pair of Baba\'s Crinoid Squat Lobsters (Allogalathea babai) hiding in the center of a crinoid.$

Wire Coral Goby (Bryaninops yongei) on the Cirripathes wire coral on which it is found.

Rusty red detail of the polyps of a Lobophyllia hemprichii coral.

Pair of Reticulated Damselfish (Dascyllus reticulatus) peek out from within an acroporid coral.

Forest of Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus spp.) cover the surface of a coral.

Rust-spotted Guard Crab (Trapezia rufopunctata) protecting its Pocillopora coral.

The free-living coral Fungia sp. is one of the few hard corals that do not attach themselves to the substrate.

Two Crested Nembrotha nudibranches (Nembrotha cristata) together under the ‘flowers’.

An Arc-eye Hawkfish (Paracirrhites arcatus) surveys the reef around him.

Healthy table Acropora hard corals along an outer reef site.

A school of Bumphead Parrotfish (Bulbometopon muricatum) pass by on the reef.

A close-up of the walls and valleys of the hard coral, Symphyllia sp.

Pixy Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus) perched on its ventral fins as hawkfishes do.

A hermit crab (Dardanus sp.) eating turf algae.

$Co\'s Nudibranch (Chromodoris coi).$

A Hawksbill Turtle (Eretrochelys imbricata) cruises past in the blue.

A close-up of the big polyps of the hard coral Lobophyllia hemprichii.

Giant Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus albovittatus) makes a close pass out of curiosity.

Mounding Porites and short-branched tabular Acropora corals cover the reef along a sloping dropoff.

Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea) emerges from a hiding hole between corals.

Ctenophore comb jelly swimming below the rain dappled surface.

Luzon Sea Star (Echinaster luzonicus) on Goniastrea sp. coral.

Fungia fungites mushroom coral abstract detail.

Chinese Lettuce Coral (Mycedium elephantotus).

Acropora digitifera with bright blue apical polyps and base where active growth is taking place.

Chief Scientist Andy Bruckner descents to the reef in a shower of bubbles.

School of Rainbow Runners (Elagatis bipinnulatus) buzz by the reef.

Smooth Giant Clam (Tridacna derasa).

Shallow reef composed of thickets of brancing Acropora, digitate Porites, and leafy scrolls of Turbinaria corals.

Large Crown of Thorns seastar (Acanthaster planci) eating table acroporid corals.

Anderson Mayfield swims the shallows over mounds of digitate Porites corals and thickets of Acropora.

Waves of sunlight cast through the shallows of a reef covered in Porites and Acropora corals.

Red encrusting sponge covers the dead branches of an Acropora coral thicket.

Pectinia alcicornis detail.

Papuan Scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis papuensis) is a master of camouflage.

Swollen Phyllidia nudibranch (Phyllidia varicosa).

Banana Nudibranch (Aegires minor)

Large Feathertail Stingray (Pastinachus stephan) resting in the sand.

Textural detail of the surface of Pachyseris speciosa coral.

Very large giant clam (Tridacna gigas) nearly a meter long with a firey orange mantle.

Barracuda school... right under the boat at Ulong Channel, Palau.

A vibrant, shallow-water coral reef in southern Palau.

Grace Frank surveying a reef at Western barrier reef, Palau.

Shallow, leeward, barrier forereef dominated by acroporids and other scleractinians.

Peleliu, Palau: My favorite dive of the trip (as of Jan. 27, ~50 dives in).

Merunlina sp. at Peleliu, Palau - amongst the most photogenic corals.

$Peleliu, Palau: a coral lover\'s paradise.$ $One of nearly 50 grey reef sharks seen at Palau\'s famous$

A hard coral-dominated community near Ulong Channel, Palau.

Channel near Crocodile Point, Palau.

$View from 30 m at \"Blue Corner.\"$ $\"The Usual Suspects,\" a common suite of shallow-water reef-building corals characteristic of many Indo-Pacific reef crests at Desomel, Palau.$

A close-up image of a common, Indo-Pacific reef-building coral Seriatopora aculeata; south of German Channel, Palau.

A macro lens photo of Pocillopora acuta, aclosely related sister species of the model coral for research Pocillopora damicornis, south of German Channel, Palau.

High coral diversity and cover in a shallow barrier forereef ecosystem at Peleliu, Palau.

Beautiful Merulina sp. colonies at Peleliu

Merulina sp.-dominated meadow at 15 m at Peleliu, Palau.

Nudibranch (~4-5 cm long) at Ngeruktabel, Palau.

Magic carpet flatworm at Ngeruktabel, Palau.

$Hawksbill sea turtle at 20-25 m near \"Crocodile Point,\" Palau.$

Pocillopora spp., Acropora spp., and Porites spp.-dominated reef at Western barrier reef, Palau (near Ulong).

A lush reef, 8-12 m below the surface at the Western barrier reef of Palau.

Looking up from 10 m in a high light environment at Desomel, Palau.

Looking up from 30 m at Olngenaol, Palau

Cassiopia sp., the upside-down jellyfish at Rebotel Reef, Palau

$Palau\'s iconic$ $Bernard, an expert divemaster from Sam\'s Tours, at Anguar, Palau$

Branching acroporids carpeting the benthos at 20 m at Olngenaol, Palau

Schooling barracuda at 5 m in Ulong Channel, Palau

$Palau\'s Western barrier reef$

Tabular acroporids and massive poritids at Ulong Reef

A high hard coral cover area in Peleliu, Palau

A mix of hard and soft corals on the western barrier forereef of Palau

$Seriatopora hystrix, the \"bird\'s nest\" or \"needle\" coral - North of the Western Passage, Palau$

Striped coral hermit crabs (Paguritta vittata) inhabit tubes in living coral

Peyssonnelia forms colorful crusts in shaded areas of the reef

Small white hermit crab (Calcinus minutus)

Plates of colorful Acropora and massive lobe corals (Porites) dominate the reefs in Palau

Black streak surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigricauda)

Small white hermit crab (Calcinus minutus)

Maxima giant clam (Tridacna maxima)

Plates of colorful Acropora and massive lobe corals (Porites) dominate the reefs in Palau

A seastar holds on tightly to the blue coral Heliopora

Coral scientist, Grace Frank, captures photos of a school of long-jawed mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta)

Structural details of the hard coral Gardineroseris

Tables of colorful Acropora dominate the reefs in Palau

Seriatopora stellata

Juvenile brushtail tang (Zebrasoma scopas)

Fine branching Acropora

Feather duster worm (Sabellastarte)

Upright pillars of Psammacora digitata

Pocillopora damicornis recruit

The rock islands of Koror provide magnificent scenery on the surface

Padina grows up through the fingers of a Porites cylindrica colony

Two small white hermit crabs (Calcinus minutus) work to gain their footing after a strong surge flips them over

Large school of Bigeye Jacks (Caranx sexfasciatus) greeted us at the start of the dive.

Large school of Bigeye Jacks (Caranx sexfasciatus) greeted us at the start of the dive (taken from underneath).

Friendly Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata).

Pair of Pink Anemonefish (Amphiprion perideraion) in a large Leathery Sea Anemone (Heteractis crispa).

White Spotted Grouper (Epinephelus caeruleopunctatus) hiding beneath an overhang surrounded by soft corals.

Commonly seen Shadowfin Soldierfish (Myripristis adusta) hugs the reef.

Large bushy red sea fan soft coral juts out from a sheer wall in order to filter plankton passing by on the current.

Group of Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis) being cleaned by a Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus).

Bright red Dendronephthya soft coral looks purple underwater till it is hit with the light of a camera strobe.

Samantha Clements performing benthic surveys on the edge of a wall.

Large polarized school of Yellowfin Goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis) sweeps by the reef.

$Group of Penguin\'s Wing Oysters (Pteria penguin) growing on branch of an old octocoral.$

Oddly put together Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) looking like they were designed by committee in a patch of Porites cylindrica coral.

Black Velvet Snail (Coriocella nigra) looks like a nudibranch but has an internal shell.

Worm Sea Cucumbers (Synaptula sp.) on a cluster of pale blue tube sponges.

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Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of living oceans and pledges to champion their preservation through research, education and a commitment to Science Without Borders.^®

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