Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Coral Spawning

Corals are animals and that’s how they reproduce and make babies. Here, a branching coral spawns pinkish egg-and-sperm bundles. These bundles will be carried away by the currents, mixing in the water, until they finally encounter a match—a sperm will fertilize an egg and new life will be created.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Eilat, Israel
Camera: ILCE-7RM3
Copyright: © Tom Shlesinger