Colorful small fish swimming around bleached Distichopora (Lace Coral)

White Corals of the Ocean.

This underwater footage highlights a large bleached Distichopora, also known as lace coral, standing out prominently with its branches rendered in stark white against the darker coral reef background. Surrounding this bleached lace coral, a variety of small, colorful fish create vibrant movement across the scene. These fish, mostly orange with hints of yellow, dart around the coral in quick bursts, exploring the nooks and crevices of the reef. The seabed around the lace coral includes a mix of darker, textured coral types, some showing signs of bleaching and others retaining muted brown and gray tones. In the distance, additional fish of varying sizes are scattered, adding depth to the video clip and emphasizing the size of this coral formation.

Dead Lace Coral Centers An Undersea Lifeful Landscape on Close-up Shot.

Captured in ultra-high-definition 4K (2160p) and available in HD (1080p) resolutions by professional videographers, this free stock footage presents intricate details of the delicate lace coral structure and contrasting vibrant fish life. Available in landscape (16:9 aspect ratio) and vertical (9:16 aspect ratio) formats, this footage is versatile for widescreen displays and social media platforms such as Instagram Reels, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Its quality and adaptability make it an excellent choice for environmental campaigns, NGO initiatives, documentaries, and educational materials aimed at marine conservation.

Lace coral, or Distichopora, is known for its tree-like branches and bright colors like pink, purple, or white. Unlike reef-building corals, it has a tougher calcium carbonate skeleton and lacks zooxanthellae algae. Lace coral can bleach when stressed, even though it doesn’t lose these algae. It is sensitive to temperature changes, sediment, and pollution, which can weaken its skeleton and disrupt growth. This coral is vulnerable to damage from human activities such as dredging and coastal development. Higher water temperatures and climate change further increase its risk. When stressed, lace coral takes a long time to recover due to its rigid structure and specific habitat needs.