Special from National Geographic by Edward O. Wilson, photographs by David Liittschwager

"When you thrust a shovel into the soil or tear off a piece of coral, you are, godlike, cutting through an entire world," writes biologist E.O. Wilson in the current issue of National Geographic Magazine. "You have crossed a hidden frontier known to very few."

Read E.O. Wilson's full article.

Check out David Liittschwager's photos of some of the species you can find in a single cubic foot of coral:

View more of David Liittschwager's photos.