| Rank | Country | Reef Area (km2) | % of world total |
| 1 | Indonesia | 51,020 | 17.95% |
| 2 | Australia | 48,960 | 17.22% |
| 3 | Philippines | 25,060 | 8.81% |
| 4 | France | 14,280 | 5.02% |
Where would a coral reef most likely be found?
Where would a coral reef most likely be found? Corals are found all over the world’s oceans , from the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska to the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea. The biggest coral reefs are found in the clear, shallow waters of the tropics and subtropics.
Where are the ten largest coral reefs located?
World’s Largest Coral Reefs
- Bem-Vindo a Saya De Malha Bank, Indian Ocean. Bem-Vindo, explorers! ...
- Red Sea Coral Reef, Red Sea. Not necessarily red in color, the Red Sea Coral Reef is presumably the oldest coral reef structures in the world.
- New Caledonian Coral Reef. ...
- Mesoamerican Coral Reef, Caribbean Basin. ...
- Maldives-Chagos-Lakshadweep Atolls, Indian Ocean. ...
Where in the ocean has the most coral reefs?
Where are the healthiest coral reefs in the world?
- Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Solomon Islands
- Papua New Guinea
- FIJI
- Red sea
What countries are coral reefs found in?
What threats do corals face?
- First is our. This can cause three key problems for corals: bleaching from warming surface waters, as we already discussed; an increased risk of damage from storms if climate change ...
- Second is our. ...
- Third is pollution and disease. ...
Why are coral reefs located where they are?
HABITAT: Coral reefs need water that is between 68 - 82°F (20 - 28°C), which is often located along the eastern shores of land. Reefs usually develop in areas that have a lot of wave action because the waves bring in food, nutrients and oxygen to the reef. Waves also prevent sediment from falling on the reef.
What are 3 locations of coral reefs?
Coral reefs are located in tropical oceans near the equator. The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The second largest coral reef can be found off the coast of Belize, in Central America. Other reefs are found in Hawaii, the Red Sea, and other areas in tropical oceans.
Where are the corals found?
Where are Coral Reefs Found? Corals can be found throughout the world's oceans, in both shallow and deep water. However, the reef-building corals that rely on a symbiotic relationship with algae need shallow, clear water allowing light penetration for photosynthesis.
What country has the most coral reefs?
IndonesiaRankCountry and geographical locationsReef Area1Indonesia, Republic of51,0202Australia48,9603Philippines, Republic of the25,0604France Including: Clipperton, Mayotte, Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna Islands14,28077 more rows•May 3, 2013
Where is the best coral reef in the world?
Best Coral Reefs in the World - Top 5Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Raja Ampat is located at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Ocean, right in the heart of the prestigious Coral Triangle. ... Solomon Islands. ... Papua New Guinea. ... FIJI. ... Red sea.
Which oceans have coral reefs?
The Indian Ocean accounts for up to 60% of the global coastal reefs, the Pacific Ocean 25%, and the West Atlantic 15%. The Hawaiian Island, Madagascar, and the Philippines also have coral reefs. In Southeast Asia, over 70% of the fish are caught on coral reefs.
What is coral reef?
Colorful marine life in the coral reef ecosystem. Although seas are important waterways, fishing grounds, and so much more, they also host some of the most diverse ecosystems, including coral reef ecosystems. Coral reefs are underwater ecosystems common in seas and related bodies of water. These reefs are built by coral polyps ...
How are coral reefs formed?
As the name suggests, coral reefs are formed when the coral skeletons cluster in groups to form colonies.
What are the threats to the coral reefs in Australia?
Primary threats to Australia’s reef system include pollution from mining, pesticides, and sediment runoffs. Mining companies in Queensland often release waste water into the Coral Sea, affecting corals and their reef-building activities.
What is the largest coral reef in the world?
The largest coral reef area (about 92% of the total area) is within the Indo-Pacific region, a region comprising the Pacific, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and the Red Sea.
What are the environmental problems that affect the French coral reef?
Major environmental threats to French coral reefs are overfishing, pollution, and increased ocean acidification. Pollution from oil exploration is considered a major threat to the Amazon Reef.
How old are coral reefs?
Although the first coral reefs appeared over 400 million years ago, most of the existing ones are less than 10,000 years old. The world's coral reefs are of economic importance and are valued at about $10 trillion.
Where are coral reefs located?
In the Atlantic Ocean basin, smaller, fragmented areas of coral reef development occur in the tropical eastern Atlantic ,along the east coast of southern Brazil, and around the island of Bermuda. The Pacific basin houses similar small pockets of limited reef development in the eastern Pacific, off western Australia, and off southern Japan.
What are the three major regions of coral reefs?
These are: (1) The Indo-Pacific – Includes most of the Indian Ocean (excluding the Red Sea), and the western Pacific.
Where do corals need sunlight?
The coral animals that build tropical reefs require sunlight found in clear, shallow ocean waters. This need for light is tied to the corals’ dependence upon their photosynthetic partners (zooxanthellae) dwelling within the animal tissues.
Why are coral reefs not randomly scattered?
Why? Because the global distribution of coral reefs is largely determined by the ecological requirements of the reef-building corals themselves.
Where are coral reefs located?
Coral reefs exist in seven U.S. states and territories, including: Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. There are also coral reefs 100 miles offshore of Texas and Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, living on the tops of geologic ‘mesas’.
How many species of fish are in coral reefs?
Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. An estimated 25 percent of all marine life, including over 4,000 species of fish, are dependent on coral reefs at some point in their life cycle. Approximately half a billion people globally depend on coral reef ecosystems for food, coastal protection, ...
What are coral polyps?
Polyps of reef-building corals contain microscopic algae called zooxanthellae, which exist with the animal in a symbiotic relationship. The coral polyps (animals) provide the algae (plants) a home, and in exchange the algae provide the polyps with food they generate through photosynthesis. Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most ...
Why do corals have transparent polyps?
Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most reef-building corals live in clear, shallow waters that are penetrated by sunlight. The algae also give a coral its color; coral polyps are actually transparent, so the color of the algae inside the polyps show through.
Why are coral reefs important?
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. One of the reasons that coral reefs are so highly valued is because they serve as ...
What are the benefits of coral reefs?
Healthy coral reefs provide: 1 Habitat, feeding, spawning, and nursery grounds for over 1 million aquatic species, including commercially harvested fish species. 2 Food for people living near coral reefs, especially on small islands. 3 Recreation and tourism opportunities, such as fishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling, which contribute billions of dollars to local economies. 4 Protection of coastal infrastructure and prevention of loss of life from storms, tsunamis, floods, and erosion. 5 Sources of new medicines that can be used to treat diseases and other health problems.
What is the difference between a coral and a stony coral?
Coral is a class of colonial animal that is related to hydroids, jellyfish, and sea anemones. Stony corals, a type of coral characterized by their hard skeleton, are the bedrock of the reef. Stony coral colonies are composed of hundreds of thousands of individual living polyps.
How hot can coral grow?
Reef-building corals are restricted in their geographic distribution by their physiology. For instance, reef-building corals cannot tolerate water temperatures below 18° Celsius (C). Many grow optimally in water temperatures between 23° and 29° C, but some can tolerate temperatures as high as 40° C for short periods.
How deep does coral need light?
The corals’ requirement for high light also explains why most reef-building species are restricted to the euphotic zone, the region in the ocean where light penetrates to a depth of approximately 70 meters.
Where are coral reefs not common?
Coral reefs are not common along the western coasts of South America and the African continent. This is due primarily to the upwelling of colder ocean currents that reduce water temperatures in these regions. The Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific region is the largest coral reef development in the world, covering a vast area ...
What are the coral reefs in the Caribbean?
Coral reefs in the Caribbean provide protection from hurricanes to many coastal communities. These coastal communities are also dependent on the coral reef ecosystem for subsistence. Red Sea region. The Red sea coral reef ecosystem is located in the north region of the Indian ocean, between the Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, ...
How many species of coral are there in the Caribbean?
The biodiversity in the Caribbean coral reef ecosystem comprises approximately 65 known species of hard corals and an approximate number of between 500-700 fish species. The greater biodiversity in the Caribbean is found in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and the biodiversity decreases as the distance separates outer regions from this central region. ...
What are the three types of coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region?
The geological features of the Indo-Pacific region permit the formation of the three types of coral reefs, including fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atoll reefs. The greater variety of coral reef formations and biodiversity sets this region apart from other coral reefs in the world. The coral reef ecosystem of this region hosts ...
How deep are coral reefs?
Earth Science. Most coral reefs are located in tropical shallow waters less than 50 meters deep, in the western regions of the Indian ocean, Pacific Ocean and Greater Caribbean. Corals thrive best in tropical waters where temperatures range from 23 to 29 °C (73 to 84 °F); however, some corals are able to thrive in water temperatures below 18 °C ...
How many species of coral are there in the Indo-Pacific region?
Approximately 700 species of coral and more than 3,000 species of fish have been discovered in the Indo-Pacific region and most of the marine life in this region is concentrated in a region, comprising western New Guinea, eastern Indonesia and southern Philippines. In this region the conditions are ideal for the abundance of marine biodiversity.
Where are hard corals found?
Hard corals require warm, clear and shallow waters, such as those found in the tropics at 30 degrees north or south of the equator, although some species of corals can withstand other temperatures. According to Coral-Reef-Info.com, coral reefs are found in three world Oceans that have portions of water in the tropics; the Atlantic Ocean, ...
What percentage of marine species live in coral reefs?
Scientists estimate that 25 percent of all marine species live in and around coral reefs, making them one of the most diverse habitats in the world. Paulo Maurin, education and fellowship coordinator for NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, says the reefs are invaluable to our planet’s biodiversity.
Why are coral reefs important?
Reefs provide a variety of economic benefits, including recreational activities, tourism, coastal protection, habitat for commercial fisheries, and preservation of marine ecosystem s. “Corals are important to us for many reasons,” Maurin says. “From a practical point of view, they can help protect coastline s from storm events, for instance, ...
What is the relationship between corals and algae?
Corals live with algae in a type of relationship called symbiosis. This means the organisms cooperate with each other. The algae, called zooxanthellae, live inside the corals, which provide a tough outer shell made from calcium carbonate.
Do algae provide food for corals?
In return for that protection, the algae provide their host with food produced through photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae also provide corals with their striking colors. This symbiotic relationship is strongly dependent on the temperature of the surrounding water.
Where do coral reefs thrive?
Coral reefs flourish in ocean waters that provide few nutrients. They are most commonly found at shallow depths in tropical waters, but deep water and cold water coral reefs exist on smaller scales in other areas. Coral reefs deliver ecosystem services for tourism, fisheries and shoreline protection.
What is a coral reef?
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. 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 jellyfish.
What are the three types of coral reefs?
While some sources find only three, Thomas and Goudie list four "principal large-scale coral reef types" – the fringing reef, barrier reef, atoll and table reef – while Spalding et al. list five "main types" – the fringing reef, barrier reef, atoll, "bank or platform reef" and patch reef.
What happens to coral reefs as the ocean floor subsides?
Darwin's theory starts with a volcanic island which becomes extinct. As the island and ocean floor subside, coral growth builds a fringing reef, often including a shallow lagoon between the land and the main reef.
How do fringing reefs keep pace?
If the land subsides slowly, the fringing reefs keep pace by growing upwards on a base of older, dead coral, forming a barrier reef enclosing a lagoon between the reef and the land.
Why are sponges important to coral reefs?
Sponges are essential for the functioning of the coral reef that system. Algae and corals in coral reefs produce organic material. This is filtered through sponges which convert this organic material into small particles which in turn are absorbed by algae and corals.
Why do corals die?
Corals that rely on zooxanthellae can die when the water becomes too deep for their symbionts to adequately photosynthesize, due to decreased light exposure.
Distribution and Location
Indonesia
- Indonesia consists of over 17,000 islands located between the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. The country has a marine area of approximately 2.9 million km2, with tropical seas surrounding its 80,000 km coastline. These seas host several marine ecosystems, including diverse coral reefs. The tropical marine waters form part of the Coral Triangle that contains over 500 reef-building s…
Australia
- Australia is the second-largest reef nation, with 48,960 km2 of coral reef area, about 2,060 km2s smaller than Indonesia’s reef area. It accounts for 17.22% of the global reef area. Western Australia has numerous reefs of different types along its 3,000 km coastline. Fringing reefs, including Ningaloo (world’s longest reef) and patch reefs, are predominant coral reefs in Wester…
The Philippines
- The Philippines is surrounded by about 25,060 km2of coral reefs, making it the third-largest reef nation. Its reef area is half the Indonesian reef area and accounts for about 8.81% of the global coral reef area. These reefs are beneficial to the country in several ways, including protecting the communities from hurricane and typhoons, as well as providing a rich fishing ground and promo…
France
- In France, coral reefs mainly border its territories, such as French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Clipperton, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia. It has a reef area of about 14,280 km2, accounting for 5.02% of the global reef area. Almost all the 118 French Polynesian islands have fringing reefs around them. Some of these reefs and atolls have been used fo...
Other Countries with Large Coral Reef Area
- Apart from Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, and France, other countries with significantly large reef areas are Papua New Guinea (13,840 sq. km), Fiji (10,020 sq. km), Maldives (8,920 sq. km), Saudi Arabia (6,660 sq. km), Marshall Islands (6,110 sq. km), and India (5,790 sq. km). The United States has the 16th largest reef area (3,770 sq. km), accounting for 1.33% of the global re…