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In the first segment of this video, a coral head releases male gametophytes (sperm) into the water column, creating a whitish cloud. Look carefully at the early stages of this video clip to see individual polyps simultaneously releasing distinct streams of sperm. In the second half of the video, another coral head releases female gametophytes into the water column. Unlike the male gametophytes, the female gametophytes are released progressively across the coral head. This video was taken during a 2002 coral reef mass spawning event in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sancuary, which is located approximately 100 miles south of the Texas Louisiana border in the Gulf of Mexico. Video Credit - Emma Hickerson.
