Coral spawn turns Palau seas pink

The annual mass spawning of corals on the Palau archipelago in the western Pacific has occurred right on cue.

With Sunday night's full moon, coral polyps let forth a huge swathe of sperm and egg, to seed the next generation. The event was short-lived - only about 30 minutes - but so vast in its scale that it turned the sea water pink.

Scientists from Palau, Australia and the UK are studying the practicality of collecting coral larvae to help restore damaged reefs elsewhere.