By understanding corals' strengths, scientists can guide conservation efforts.

Marine scientist Amber Starks on how she adapts to her audience to find effective ways to talk about the transformations that active oil platforms undergo to become thriving marine ecosystems.

Small-bodied, short-lived cryptobenthic fish underpin the high productivity of coral reefs by supplying larger reef species with a limitless buffet.

Ocean seagrass meadows reduce bacteria unhealthful to humans and marine organisms by up to 50%, a new study shows, and they also decrease the likelihood of disease in coral reefs by half.

Did you know that sooty shearwaters travel more than one million miles and 6,000 days in their average life span of 32 years? Or that on coral reefs more than 100 cleaner species serve as doctors and dentists to other fish? These fun facts are featured in marine scientist Nancy Knowlton's new book "Citizens of the Sea." Written for a general audience, the book will also appeal to the scientific community and to educators looking to ignite students interest in marine life. In this podcast, Knowlton reads selections from her book.

• View some of the amazing images from 'Citizens of the Sea'
• Census of Marine Life: 'Citizens of the Sea'