Benjamin Titus, Assistant Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Alabama, has 15 years of experience leading and participating in tropical field research expeditions studying mutualisms on coral reefs. However, key mysteries remain to be unravelled. Most surprisingly, the evolution and function of clownfish colour patterns themselves are unknown. Dr Titus research has generated recent discoveries that directly link clownfish colour patterns to the host sea anemone they reside in. It has been hypothesised that colour has a protective function and is related to how they interact with their host. This work has been carried out thanks to the brilliant team at Yachts For Science – connectors of vessels and researchers to allow for these crucial projects to take place.