See 'Underwater Snowstorm' of Coral Reproducing
Under a full moon, corals release millions of tiny eggs. Whether or not those eggs fertilize is a leap of faith.
Illuminated only by a full moon, underwater photographer Michaela Skovranova and a group of divers parked in the Great Barrier Reef check the water around their boat for signs it's about to happen.
Perched on the edge of the vessel, periodically they scoop up water about every 15 minutes. In these samples, they're looking for tiny, sticky eggs recently released from the gut cavities of coral. Sometimes the eggs will produce what looks like a red slick on the water's surface.
When eggs finally turn up, it means a coral-spawning event is about to take place. When the divers see that, they quickly plunge into the water, in hopes of witnessing what can only be seen once a year, when waters