Coral reef | Description, Geochemistry, Origins, & Threats
6 天之前 · 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.
Tropical rainforest | Definition, Characteristics, Location, …
2024年10月26日 · A tropical rainforest is a luxuriant forest found in wet tropical uplands and lowlands near the Equator. Tropical rainforests are dominated by broad-leaved trees that form a dense upper canopy and contain a wide array of vegetation and other life.
Coral | Definition, Types, Location, & Facts | Britannica
2024年11月19日 · Coral, any of a variety of invertebrate marine organisms of the class Anthozoa that are characterized by skeletons—external or internal—of a stonelike, horny, or leathery consistency. The term coral is also applied to the skeletons of those animals, particularly to those of the stonelike corals.
Coral island | Geology, Ecology & Formation | Britannica
coral island, tropical island built of organic material derived from skeletons of corals and numerous other animals and plants associated with corals. Coral islands consist of low land perhaps only a few metres above sea level, generally with coconut …
The process of ecological succession in a coral reef
Ecological succession happens when new life takes over an environment. Here, a sunken ship demonstrates the process in a tropical coral reef.
Coral reef - Marine Ecosystem, Formation, Diversity
6 天之前 · Coral reef - Marine Ecosystem, Formation, Diversity: English naturalist Charles Darwin concluded in 1842 that barrier reefs began as reefs fringing the land around which they now form a barrier and that oceanic atoll reefs began as reefs fringing a volcanic island.
coral - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Collectively, several different species of corals can join together in enormous colonies and form coral reefs, coral islands, and coral atolls. The largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef , off the coast of Australia, is more than 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) long.
Atoll | Definition & Facts | Britannica
2024年10月17日 · atoll, coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Atolls consist of ribbons of reef that may not always be circular but whose broad configuration is a closed shape up to dozens of kilometres across, enclosing a lagoon that may be approximately 50 metres (160 feet) deep or more.
Great Barrier Reef | Map, Animals, Bleaching, & Facts
4 天之前 · Great Barrier Reef, world’s largest coral reef complex, located in the Pacific Ocean off northeastern Australia. It extends for more than 1,250 miles (2,000 km) in a northwest-southeast direction, and its width ranges from 37 to 155 miles (60 to 250 km).
coral reef - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
A coral reef is a structure in shallow ocean areas that is formed mainly by stonelike coral skeletons. Corals are small marine animals that live in all oceans of the world.…