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In Explorer's Cove, soft corals (Gersemia antarctica) move around. Each is
attached at the base to a small rock which stays buried in the sediment.
Because the water in Explorer's Cove is nutrient-poor (oligotrophic), the
Gersemia there derive at least a portion of their nourishment by bending
down to lie flat on the substrate. They sweep around in an arc that way,
using their polyps to sift microorganisms and organic matter out of the
sediment. This in itself is a unique and remarkable behavior, unknown
for a soft coral.
Then the Gersemia deflate and inflate the stalk to move along the bottom like an inchworm. When they reach a new spot, they repeat the process. They can move as much as ten feet in a 24 hour period. This is astounding behavior for an animal that is supposed to be sessile and has no brain to speak of.
--Norbert Wu
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