Fellow Story

Garren and team win award for beautiful photo of invisible coral flows

Fellow(s): Melissa Garren

Invisible Coral Flows reveal the hidden flow generated by small hairs (cilia) covering the surface of the coral, between two coral polyps that are 3 mm apart. Two shots taken 1.5 hours apart are combined into a single image, showing how the coral is able to create a long-lasting whirlpool structure that alters the local environment and enhances the coral's ability to "breathe."

Visit the NSF's International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge page for more winning images