BRAINS OF THE SEA: A Lobophyllia corymbosa, or brain root coral, spotted around 10ft under the surface of the Bay of Bengal onSaint Martin’s Island. This fascinating species of large polyp stony coral occurs on reefs in shallow waters of the Red Sea, off the coast of East Africa, and in other parts of the tropical Indo-Pacific. These corals have large polyps that each secrete a corallite around itself, which forms the skeleton of the coral. Thecorallites tend to be shaped like hourglasses with thick and fleshy polyps inside. The corallites normally remainretracted throughout the day and are extended at nightfor feeding. The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae, hosted within its own body, provides much of its nutritional requirements through the process of photosynthesis. They alsofeast on micro-planktons from time to time. Though this coral species has been listed in the “Least Concern” category by the IUCN due to its wide range, it is, however, still subject to the reef degradation that threatens all corals due to rising global temperatures and ocean acidification.

A woman, carrying a child, had to wear a mask while crossing the BIDC road in Khulna’s Khalishpur to protect herself from heavy dust pollution yesterday. According to weather reports and the Air Quality Index, Khulna’s air was categorised as “unhealthy”. Photo: Habibur Rahman