Dr Jorg Wiedenmann, Senior Lecturer of Biological Oceanography and Head of the University's Coral Reef Laboratory, who led the study says: "The beautiful pink and purple hues that are produced by the coral host are often evoked by chromoproteins; pigments that are biochemically related to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) of the jellyfish Aequorea victoria.
At least for the chromoproteins we know now that they have indeed the capacity to fulfill this function."
The researchers also proposed an explanation for the mysterious phenomenon that some corals accumulate exceptionally high amounts of chromoproteins in growing areas, such as branch tips or in the region of healing wounds.