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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 ...
Specific regions showcase the economic significance of coral reefs, with Hawai'i's contributing US$360 million annually to its economy, and the Philippine economy receiving at least US$1.06 billion each year from coral reefs. [61] In the St. Martin region, coral reefs contribute significantly, emphasizing the need for prioritized conservation ...
[82] [90] [91] [92] In the tropics, coral reefs can be found adjacent to islands with large populations of breeding seabirds, and could be potentially affected by local nutrient enrichment due to the transport of seabird-derived nutrients in surrounding waters. Studies on the influence of guano on tropical marine ecosystems suggest nitrogen ...
Reefs can also grow on other surfaces, which has made it possible to create artificial reefs. Coral reefs also support a huge community of life, including the corals themselves, their symbiotic zooxanthellae, tropical fish and many other organisms. Much attention in marine biology is focused on coral reefs and the El Niño weather
At least one microscopic animal group, the parasitic cnidarian Myxozoa, is unicellular in its adult form, and includes marine species. Other adult marine microanimals are multicellular. Microscopic adult arthropods are more commonly found inland in freshwater, but there are marine species as well.
The classification of corals has been discussed for millennia, owing to having similarities to both plants and animals. Aristotle's pupil Theophrastus described the red coral, korallion, in his book on stones, implying it was a mineral, but he described it as a deep-sea plant in his Enquiries on Plants, where he also mentions large stony plants that reveal bright flowers when under water in ...
Along a coral reef off the coast of Oman, a rare sea creature swayed in the current. Sunlight filtered through the water and reflected off the animal, giving it a “crown” “of light.”
Planktivorous fish (8, some damselfishes and triggerfishes) transfer energy from zooplankton up to reef predators like jacks (9), [101] which provide top-down control of reefs [102] and are important targets for shoreline recreational fisherfolk. [103] Grazers (10, chubs) help keep coral reefs from being overgrown by macroalgae. [104]