|
Coral reef - Wikipedia
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. [1] Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Coral belongs to the class Anthozoa in the animal phylum Cnidaria, which includes sea anemones and ...
Coral reef ecosystems - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Coral polyps, the animals primarily responsible for building reefs, can take many forms: large reef building colonies, graceful flowing fans, and even small, solitary organisms.
Coral reef | Description, Geochemistry, Origins, & Threats | Britannica
Coral reef, ridge or hummock formed in shallow ocean areas by algae and the calcareous skeletons of coral polyps and other coelenterates. A coral reef may grow into a permanent coral island. Often called ‘rainforests of the sea,’ coral reefs are home to a spectacular variety of organisms.
Coral reefs | UNEP - UN Environment Programme
Coral reefs underpin the safety, coastal protection, well-being, food security, and economic security of hundreds of millions of coastal people in least developed countries, economies in transition, and small island developing states around the world.
Coral Reefs - National Geographic Society
Coral reefs are important ocean habitats and offer a compelling case of the risks of climate change. Reefs provide a large fraction of Earth’s biodiversity and have even been called “the rainforests of the seas.”
Coral Reefs - NOAA's National Ocean Service
An overview of the biology of and threats to coral reefs, as well as efforts being made to conserve and protect them. It includes images, animations, and videos.
Basic Information about Coral Reefs - US EPA
Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. This web site describes the importance of coral reefs, threats to them, and ongoing efforts to protect them.
Corals Tutorial: Why are coral reefs important?
This tutorial is an overview of the biology of and threats to coral reefs, as well as efforts being made to conserve and protect them. It includes images, animations, and videos.
Corals and Coral Reefs - Smithsonian Ocean
Coral reefs are the most diverse of all marine ecosystems. They teem with life, with perhaps one-quarter of all ocean species depending on reefs for food and shelter. This is a remarkable statistic when you consider that reefs cover just a tiny fraction (less than one percent) of the earth’s surface and less than two percent of the ocean bottom.
Coral reefs: Essential and threatened - National Oceanic and ...
Healthy coral reefs are among Earth’s most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems and are vital around the world. Healthy coral reefs and their habitats are important to life in the ocean and on land.
|
FIRE101 Fire Jobs 