Shallow Coral Reef Habitat - NOAA Fisheries
Coral reefs are the most diverse habitats on the planet. Reefs occur in less than 1 percent of the ocean, yet are home to nearly one-quarter of all ocean species. These ancient structures make a perfect home for millions of species of fish, crabs, clams, starfish, squid, sponges, lobsters, seahorses, sea turtles, and more.
Coral reef - Wikipedia
Coral reef ecosystems contain distinct zones that host different kinds of habitats. Usually, three major zones are recognized: the fore reef, reef crest, and the back reef (frequently referred to as the reef lagoon).
Coral reefs | Habitats | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Built by tiny sea animals, coral reefs are underwater structures bustling with marine life. Coral reefs grow slowly in warm tropical waters, building up their colorful shapes over hundreds and thousands of years.
Coral reef ecosystems - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
2019年2月1日 · 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.
What is a Coral Reef? - NASA
2024年10月15日 · “Coral reef ecosystems provide habitat for thousands of species, from unicellular organisms like bacteria or some phytoplankton communities, to large organisms like sharks, groupers or snappers, and reptiles like sea turtles,” Torres-Pérez said.
Coral reef | Description, Geochemistry, Origins, & Threats
2024年9月24日 · 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 - Education | National Geographic Society
2024年7月18日 · Corals provide habitats for fish and other organisms in the ocean. The Northwest Hawaiian Island coral reefs are home to about 7,000 species of plants and animals. Coral reefs not only provide marine species with a rich habitat, but they also assist people as well.
Habitat Conservation: Coral Reef Conservation | NOAA Fisheries
Healthy habitat—like wetlands, rivers, and coral reefs—provides important areas for fish to eat and reproduce. But habitat has been destroyed by coastal development, pollution, extreme weather, and other factors, leading to reduced fish populations.
Coral reefs: Essential and threatened | National Oceanic and ...
2016年4月14日 · Healthy coral reefs and their habitats are important to life in the ocean and on land. Fish, corals, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges and sea turtles are only a few of the thousands of creatures that rely on reefs for their survival, but so do humans.
Coral Reefs - Education
2024年7月18日 · 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 —they have been called “the rainforests of the seas.”