Loading video... VIDEO: Dinoflagellates are single-celled algae that are essential for keeping corals healthy. When dinoflagellates are added to coral cell in a petri dish, the coral cells quickly engulf the algae. At... view more Credit: OIST For the first time, scientists have seen stony coral cells engulf dinoflagellates - single-celled, photosynthetic algae that are crucial for keeping coral alive The researchers used a cell line called IVB5, which contains endoderm-like cells cultured from the stony coral, Acropora tenuis Around 40% of coral cells incorporated the algae in around 30 minutes and remained healthy for one month The research is a step towards understanding the partnership between coral and dinoflagellates and could shed light on how coral bleaching occurs