Corals, and the algae inside their polyps, rely on sunlight to produce the energy needed for them to survive and grow. That’s why most coral reefs can be found in shallow, clear water along the coast. Corals crave the marine conditions found in the warm waters of the tropics and sub-tropics.
What countries have coral reefs?
- Indonesia (51,020 sq km, 17.95%)
- Australia (48,960 sq km, 17.22%)
- Philippines (25,060 sq km, 8.81%)
- France, including: Clipperton, Mayotte, Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna Islands (14,280 sq km, 5.02%)
- Papua New Guinea (13,840 sq km, 4.87%)
- Fiji (10,020 sq km, 3.52%)
- Maldives (8,920swq km, 3.14%)
What are the closest coral reefs?
The three major types of coral reefs around the world are atolls, fringing reefs and barrier reefs. Florida's Coral Reef most closely resembles a barrier reef; however, the reefs are closer to shore and they lack the shallow inshore lagoons found on most barrier reefs.
What is the best coral reef in the world?
Where is the best snorkelling in the world?
- Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Colorful fish and coral on the Great Barrier Reef. …
- Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Coral reef off Komodo National Park. …
- Devil’s Crown, Galápagos. Devil’s Crown. …
- Grenada, The Caribbean. …
- Bay of Donsol, The Philippines. …
- Baa Atoll, Maldives. …
- Madang, Papua New Guinea. …
- Maui, Hawaii, United States.
What is the average temperature in coral reefs?
The coral reef biome climate is tropical. Coral reef temperatures in the wild range from 68 to 97°F (20 to 36°C). The warm, shallow water is essential for photosynthesis of the zooxanthellae algae. Deep-sea corals are capable of living in temperatures as low as 30.2°F (-1°C).
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.
Where are some coral reefs located?
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 do coral reefs grow best?
Coral reefs grow best in warm water (70–85°F), and prefer clear, shallow water, where lots of sunlight filters through to their symbiotic algae. It is possible to find corals at depths of up to 300 feet (91 meters), but reef-building corals grow poorly below 60–90 feet.
Why coral reefs are commonly found in shallow waters?
Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most reef-building corals live in clear, shallow waters that are penetrated by sunlight.
Where is the largest coral reef located?
Queensland, AustraliaStretching for 1,429 miles over an area of approximately 133,000 square miles , the Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. The reef is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea.
Which country has the most coral reefs?
The most diverse region of the world for coral reefs is centered on the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, with between 500 and 600 species of coral in each of these countries....Rank1Country and geographical locationsIndonesia, Republic ofReef Area51,020Percentage of world total17.95%80 more columns•May 3, 2013
How many coral reefs are in the world?
According to our best estimates, half a trillion! There are thus approximately as many coral colonies in the Pacific Ocean as there are trees in the Amazon, and more corals than birds in the world. The population sizes of one fifth of the 318 species we examined each exceed one billion individuals.
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.
Which country owns the largest coral reef in the world?
Although Southeast Asia is the largest reef region, most of the reefs are owned by wealthy nations. About 25% of the world’s coral reefs are shared between France, the US, and Australia. The world’s coral reefs are distributed across 79 countries and regions.
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.
How many regions of coral reefs are there?
Globally, three major regions of coral reef development are generally recognized, each with a somewhat distinctive biota. These are:
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.
What is the best environment for coral?
Each species of hard coral differs somewhat in their ability to tolerate variations in these environmental factors, but each does best only within an even more narrowly defined set of “optimal” conditions – and shallow tropical seas are those parts of the oceans where “optimal conditions” for coral growth are most frequently found.
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.
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. Stony corals also require tropical or sub-tropical temperatures, which exist in a band 30 degrees north to 30 degrees south of the equator.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
Which region is the largest coral reef in the world?
The Indo-Pacific region. The Indo-Pacific region is the largest coral reef development in the world, covering a vast area of the Eastern Indian and Western Pacific oceans. 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.
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 ...
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 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, ...
Where is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef located?
This coral reef barrier extends for 1,000 km (620 miles) from the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico to the Gulf of Honduras. The Caribbean region is dominated by fringing reef formation, including those formed off the coast of Cuba, the Bahamas and other smaller islands. The Caribbean includes a few atolls, the best known is the Glover’s atoll reef which is located off the coast of Belize.
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.
What temperature do corals live in?
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 (64 °F), and some have adapted to survive in more extremes temperatures.
Where are coral reefs found?
The majority of reef-building corals are found in tropical and subtropical waters. Learn more and view a larger image.
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 do large coral reefs typically form?
Corals flourish in regions with little nutrients in the water. Shallow reefs are most common in tropical seas , although deep-water and cold-water corals exist on smaller scales elsewhere. Coral reefs provide ecosystem services such as tourism, fisheries, and coastal protection.
Where is the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere?
It is 625 kilometers long along the coast of Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Mexico and encompasses a variety of marine and coastal habitats. The Western Hemisphere’s Largest Barrier Reef is located in Belize.
Where is the second-largest coral reef in the world?
Following the recommendation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System – the world’s second-biggest coral reef system after the Great Barrier Reef – has dropped off the List of World Heritage in Danger.
What is the smallest coral reef in the world?
The discovery of the world’s tiniest benthic reef fish species, Trimmatom nanus, has led to the identification of a new species for Taiwan. This sort of marine fish is tiny, with female adult fish reaching 9 mm long.
Why does coral turn white?
When water is too hot for corals, the algae (zooxanthellae) that live in their tissues are expelled, rendering the coral white. This is known as coral bleaching. A coral does not die when it bleaches. Corals can survive a bleaching event if they are kept cool enough, although they are more stressed and more vulnerable to disease.
What are the 3 types of coral?
Fringing, barrier, and atoll reefs are the three primary types of coral reefs.
What percentage of the ocean floor is made of coral reefs?
Corals are one of the most diversified habitats on Earth. Reefs can be found in just a tiny percentage of the ocean, yet they host around a quarter of all ocean species.
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…