Coral Reefs

Marine Biology

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Coral Reefs

Coral Reef

Noun: An erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates.

        There are 3 main kinds of coral reefs. The first kind is called a fringing reef. A fringing reef grow in shallow waters, usually by coasts.

        The next kind is called a barrier reef. A barrier reef is separated from land by a lagoon. They grow parallel to coasts and are very large and long. An example of a barrier reef would be The Great Barrier Reef is Australia. The Great Barrier Reef goes on for over one hundred miles!

        The last type of reef is called the atolls reef. These kinds of reefs grow on top of or near the water's surface. Atoll reefs are split into two kinds, a deep sea atoll that starts and the waters floor and builds up and the other kind is found on the continental shelf.

There are over 4,000 differnt kinds of fish living in the coral reefs! Coral reefs are so diverse because they provide many different habitats for so many differnt animals. They fish in the coral reefs cover every color of the rainbow!

The coral in the reefs are just as diverse and the fish in the reefs. Corals are also know as "flower animals."

There are over 2,500 different kinds of coral. Soft corals have flexible hornlike body structures. Elkhorn corals are the most common and have flattened antlers like an elk. Staghorn is like Elkhorn but is more elegant and grows deeper in the ocean where is can spread out. Flexible coral are very fragile. They look like fans spread out and come in many colors and layouts.

The Great Barrier Reef