what are coral reefs definition
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- Coral reef definition: A coral reef is a long narrow mass of coral and other substances, the top of which is... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Translator | Grammar | Scrabble | Blog
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Coral reef Structure. 1  A coral reef is actually a complex of features, only part of which is a living coral or algal framework, although the other associated features result from this live segment. The accumulations of carbonate sand and mud provide a habitat for sea grasses and mangroves and for almost inconspicuous blue-green algal mats.
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- Coral reefs are usually found in warmer, tropical seas surrounding the equatorial belt. Typically, corals will invade the seas around a sheltered volcanic island, taking root on the fresh rock below the surface. The Great Barrier Reef, off the south coast of Australia, is the largest coral reef in the world.
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Coral Sea The Coral Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends 2,000 kilometres down the Australian northeast coast. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the northeast approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands. In the northwest, it reaches to the south coast of
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How Reefs Are Made Coral reefs are built by coral polyps as they secrete layers of calcium carbonate beneath their bodies. The corals that build reefs are known as “hard” or “reef-building” corals. Soft corals, such as sea fans and sea whips, do not produce reefs; they are flexible organisms that sometimes resemble plants or trees.
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The Worldâs 10 Largest Coral Reefs The World’s 10 Largest Coral Reefs. Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. These corals are unable to move and clusters with other corals so they form colonies. Coral reefs vary in size, type and location and they are very sensitive organisms. They want clear and hot waters.
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Coral Corals are marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria. They typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps.The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. coral head is a colony of myriad genetically identical polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in length. A set of tentacles surround a central mouth opening.
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- April 9, 2014 Blane Perun Comments Off on Coral Reef Facts Coral reefs are among the most complex, complicated and most varied ecosystems on Earth and we would like to dedicate Pirates & Privateers
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Coral Reefs Coral reefs are built by millions of coral polyps, small colonial animals resembling overturned jellyfish that use excess carbon dioxide in the water from the atmosphere and turn it into limestone. Corals are in fact animals that fall under the phylum Cnidaria and the class Anthozoa.
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Bagheera Coral Reefs: an Endangered Species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has named coral reefs as one of the life-support systems essential for our own survival.
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Belize Barrier Reef The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 meters (980 ft) offshore in the north and 40 kilometers (25 mi) in the south within the country limits.
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- reef1. 1  a ridge of rocks or sand, often of coral debris, at or near the surface of the water. 2  Mining. a lode or vein.
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Atoll Satellite picture of the Atafu atoll in Tokelau in the Pacific Ocean. An atoll (pronunciation: /ˈætɒl/, /ˈætɔːl/, /ˈætoʊl/, /əˈtɒl/, /əˈtɔːl/ or /əˈtoʊl/), sometimes called a coral atoll, is a ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands/cays on the rim.
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What are Coral Reefs What are Coral Reefs. Appearing as solitary forms in the fossil record more than 400 million years ago, corals are extremely ancient animals that evolved into modern reef-building forms over the last 25 million years. Coral reefs are unique (e.g., the largest structures on earth of biological origin) and complex systems.
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- A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reefs recognized by most coral reef scientists. It is distinguished from the other two main types (barrier reefs and atolls) in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone (lagoon) or none at all.
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1 What are coral reefs?2 Why are coral reefs important?3 What threatens coral reefs?4 Coral reef science and conservationCoral reefs: One of Earthâs most diverse ecosystems Coral reefs: One of Earthâs most diverse ecosystems Healthy reefs are valuable to you Challenges for coral reefs are both local and global A hands-on approach to reef conservation Although some of the biggest threats facing coral reefs are global in nature and require action on a similar scale, addressing local stressors — like reducing runoff and promoting sustainable fishing — is equally important.
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What is the population of a coral reef? Reefs are also home to a large variety of other organisms, including fish, seabirds, sponges, Cnidarians (which includes some types of corals and jellyfish), worms, crustaceans (including shrimp, cleaner shrimp, spiny lobsters and crabs), molluscs (including cephalopods), echinoderms (including starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers), sea squirts, sea turtles and sea snakes.
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Coral reef The three principal reef types are: 1  Fringing reef – directly attached to a shore, or borders it with an intervening shallow channel or lagoon. 2  Barrier reef – reef separated from a mainland or island shore by a deep channel or lagoon.
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Belize Belize's shore is sheltered by the second-longest barrier reef in the world, dotted with a large number of smaller coral reefs and cays. A barrier reef is an underwater formation of coral that lies parallel to the coast. The Lighthouse Reef contains an underwater cavern, known as Blue Hole Cave.
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- Satellite picture of the Atafu atoll in Tokelau in the Pacific Ocean. An atoll (/ˈaetɒl/ , /ˈætɒl/ , /ˈaetɔːl/ , /ˈætɔːl/ , /ˈaetoʊl/ ˈætoʊl /əˈtɒl/), əˈtɔːl or əˈtoʊl sometimes called, a coral atoll-is a ring shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. partially or completely
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Coral reef fish Coral reef fish are fish which live amongst or in close relation to coral reefs. Coral reefs form complex ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity. Among the myriad inhabitants, the fish stand out as particularly colourful and interesting to watch.
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-   Coral reefs are warm, clear, shallow ocean habitats   th … at are rich in life. The reef's massive structure   is formed from coral polyps, tiny animals that live   in colonies; when coral polyps die, they leave behind   a hard, stony, branching structure made of limestone.
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Bagheera Coral reefs actually are communities of hundreds of thousands of tiny animals called coral polyps, which grow in sunlit shallows of warm, clear marine waters. The reefs are built up as new corals attach atop the skeletons of dead animals. CAUSES OF ENDANGERMENT.
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Coral Reefs and Sinking Islands: Revisiting Darwinâs Other Theory Tahiti’s coral, for example, forms a ‘fringing’ reef, a shelf growing close to the island’s shore. The ‘barrier’ reefs of Moorea are separated from the main island by a calm lagoon. Finally, an ‘atoll,’ such as Manuae, appears as a ring of coral enclosing a lagoon with no island at its center.
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Coral Such corals require sunlight and grow in clear, shallow water, typically at depths shallower than 60 metres (200 ft). Corals are major contributors to the physical structure of the coral reefs that develop in tropical and subtropical waters, such as the enormous Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
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Losing Our Coral Reefs Coral reefs, the “rainforests of the sea,” are some of the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on earth. They occupy only .2% of the ocean, yet are home to a quarter of all marine species: crustaceans, reptiles, seaweeds, bacteria, fungi, and over 4000 species of fish make their home in coral reefs.