Coral Reef Description

Coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems of all marine environments. Coral reefs make up nearly one sixth of the worlds coastlines and are the home to tens of thousands of different organisms. Coral reefs require warm, clear, shallow and clean water to form. There growth is restricted to tropical waters. Reefs are typically found in water between 50 to 150 meters deep. They usually don’t grow where sediment limits transparency because they require a good amount of light.
Corals require a firm base to cement their skeletons to, so they are usually attached to landmasses or existing islands. Corals grow very slowly, some growing as little as 1cm a year and others up to 5cm a year. Depth and wave action will affect the shapes and sizes of corals. Environmental conditions vary over a reef. The reef flat or the sheltered side of the reef is covered with a large variety of corals and other organisms. The reef crest or the highest point of the reef can be exposed to low tide and pounded by waves which will produce sand and other sediment in the reef. Coral reefs are complex assemblages of many different types of algae and animals. Its estimated that as many as 3000 animal species live on a single reef. Coral reefs are an example of the importance of maintaining diversity in an ecosystem. Each species plays a critical role in maintaining the ecosystem.