30K views · 84 reactions | This video shows coral reproducing in the reefs near Okinawa, Japan. Colonies of coral go through a spawning process, releasing eggs and sperm, which are called gametes, in the water to reproduce. The video was posted on social media on May 12. According to Reuters, many of the coral around Okinawa only spawn once a year. | Did You See This? | Facebook

What is coral spawning? Some species of coral reproduce by ejecting large quantities of eggs and sperm into the water. When this happens, the eggs and sperm fertilize in the water. In some areas, mass coral spawning events occur on one particular night per year and scientists can predict exactly when this will happen. Trillions of eggs and sperm are simultaneously released into the water in one of the most astounding acts of synchronicity in the natural world! #coralreefs #animals #nature #under

Corals can reproduce asexually, through a process called "fragmentation". If a branch breaks away and falls onto the reef, it can reattach and begin to grow a new colony. We use this natural process to efficiently propagate tens of thousands of reef-ready corals each year! ​We fragment coral colonies into smaller, finger-sized pieces. These smaller fragments are then hung on Coral Trees™ - a simple PVC design that we developed, that allows us to grow huge numbers of coral fragments in large, off