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Bookmark or Share- Basic Information about Coral Reefs | US EPAWhat are Coral Reefs? Coral reef ecosystems are intricate and diverse collections of species that interact with each other and the physical environment. Coral is a class of colonial animal that is related to hydroids, jellyfish, and sea anemones. Stony corals, a type of coral characterized by their hard skeleton, are the bedrock of the reef.
- Coral Reefs and Corals | Smithsonian OceanReefs, which are usually made up of many colonies, are much bigger still. The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef, which spans 1,600 miles (2,600 km) off the east coast of Australia. It is so large that it can be seen from space! Reefs form when corals grow in shallow water close to the shore of continents or smaller islands.
- The Importance of Coral Reefs - NOAA's National Ocean ServiceCorals Tutorial. Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs support more species per unit area than any other marine environment, including about 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals and hundreds of other species. Scientists estimate that there may be millions of undiscovered species of ...
- Reef - National Geographic SocietyCoral reefs provide shelter for thousands of kinds of sea animals. As the reefs build up along coastlines and form new islands, they change the face of the Earth. Coral Reef Formation A coral is known as a polyp. It grows no larger than a human fingernail and is often only the size of a pinhead. It has a simple, tubelike body with tentacles at ...
- Types of Coral Reefs - Coral Reef AllianceTypes of Coral Reef Formations. Scientists generally agree on four different coral reef classifications: fringing reefs, barrier reefs, atolls, and patch reefs. Fringing reefs grow near the coastline around islands and continents. They are separated from the shore by narrow, shallow lagoons. Fringing reefs are the most common type of reef.
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