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Corals are animals that have the structure of a polyp. Reefs form when polyps secrete skeletons of calcium carbonate.

Coral reefs provide habitat for a large variety of marine life, including various sponges, oysters, clams, crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, and many species of fish. Coral reefs are also linked ecologically to nearby seagrass, mangrove, and mudflat communities.

Coral reefs are located in tropical oceans near the equator.

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An Atoll Reef is a ring-like shaped coral reef or small islands of reefs in a circle with a lagoon in the middle.

These types of reefs are formed when an island has sunk completely in the middle of the ocean from rising sea levels around a pre-existing structure

Most atoll reefs can be found in the Pacific ocean where the waters are warm and salty.

More animals are found in an atoll than in earlier stage reefs.

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These reef types border along coastlines with a very wide and deep lagoon separating the two structures. They are called barrier reefs because of the more shallower coral that sticks out of the water and creates a barrier or wall-like structure.

This type of reef is formed when the fringing reefs slowly combine with each other and form a borderline along the coast. The calcium carbonate structures attract more polyps and the spaces are filled up. It forms a line along the coast and a ring around an island.

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Fringing reefs grow near the coastline around islands and continents. These types of reefs are the most common type we see

The first stage of the formation is when the coral larvae attach itself to rocks or soil near the coasts. The larvae become polyps and excrete calcium carbonate, which forms their exoskeleton. The secreted calcium carbonate sediments on the rocks and provides a substrate for more polyps coming to attach themselves. As more and more polyps attach, and layer over time, they create a coral reef. Organisms with calcareous skeletons also add their own remains to the reef as they die and sink.

Fringing reefs tend to have less diversity of species within that ecosystem. Some locations of these reefs include Kenya, Australia and other parts of Africa shores.

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Most reef-building corals have a unique partnership with tiny algae called zooxanthellae. The algae live within the coral polyps, using sunlight to make sugar for energy. This energy is transferred to the polyp, providing much needed nourishment. In turn, coral polyps provide the algae with carbon dioxide and a protective home.

Corals can secrete calcium carbonate underneath their bodies. This turns into a hard, rock-like structure upon which other coral larvae can settle. Over time, as the calcium carbonate builds up and corals reproduce, the size of a coral reef grows.

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Reefs' Benefits on Humans and other Organisms

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Reefs' Benefits on Humans and other Organisms

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-Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion.
-Acts as a source of food.
-Production of new medicines.
-Attracts tourists.
-Coral Reefs provide a home for an abundance of Aquatic life, which allows humans to catch more fish.
-Serves as a habitat for many species of marine plants, animals, and microorganisms.

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Why Coral Reefs under stress expel their zooxanthellae.

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Why Coral Reefs under stress expel their zooxanthellae.

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The most trusted hypothesis for Corals expelling their zooxanthellae is because of global warming. When oceans warm up, corals become stressed and remove their photosynthetic companions. After this, corals "bleach" or turn white in color.

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Climate Change: The heating of Earth's oceans has led to the expulsion of the zooxanthellae by the corals, exposing their limestone skeleton and leading to the whitening or bleaching of the coral tissues.

Ocean Acidification: An increase in the carbon dioxide levels due to the excessive burning of fossil fuels has led to ocean waters becoming increasingly acidic. An overly acidic ocean inhibits the ability of the corals to build their calcium carbonate exoskeletons.

Pollution: Pollutants are either directly dumped into the oceans or by runoff that flows from the land into the ocean via rivers and streams. Pollution can make corals more susceptible to disease. Pollutants can also smother reefs, thus limiting their growth and the growth of the species that live within them.

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-Recycle and dispose of trash properly.
-Lowering the usage of fertilizers.
-Using environmentally safe modes of transportations instead of using automobiles.
-Avoid purchasing living coral.
-Spread the word about preserving coral.