Coral - Wikipedia Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton
Coral | Definition, Types, Location, Facts | Britannica 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
What are corals? - NOAAs National Ocean Service This tutorial is an overview of the biology of and threats to coral reefs, as well as efforts being made to conserve and protect them It includes images, animations, and videos Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world
Coral - Education | National Geographic Society There are about 6,000 species of coral around the world, with some species growing in warm shallow waters near coastlines and others thriving on the dark, cold seafloor of the open ocean Though coral may look like a colorful plant growing from roots in the seafloor, it is actually an animal
Coral Reefs and Corals - Smithsonian Ocean Coral reefs are the most diverse of all marine ecosystems They teem with life, with perhaps one-quarter of all ocean species depending on reefs for food and shelter This is a remarkable statistic when you consider that reefs cover just a tiny fraction (less than one percent) of the earth’s surface and less than two percent of the ocean bottom
Coral reef ecosystems - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion, provide jobs for local communities, and offer opportunities for recreation They are also are a source of food and new medicines Over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income, and protection
What Are Corals? Foundation of Reef Ecosystems Coral Vita is a mission-driven company dedicated to restoring our world’s dying and damaged reefs Using innovative land-based farming techniques, Coral Vita grows diverse and resilient corals in months instead of the decades they take in nature These corals are then transplanted into threatened reefs, helping to preserve ocean biodiversity
Coral Animal Facts - A-Z Animals “There are more than 6000 species of coral in the world’s oceans ” Corals look much like plants but are actually saltwater-dwelling invertebrate marine organisms They have external or internal skeletons classified as stony-hard, horny, or soft
NOAAs Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) - Coral Facts There are over 600 species of coral found in the Coral Triangle alone—a region encompassing the waters around the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands—making this region the global hotspot of coral diversity
What is a Coral? - U. S. National Park Service Corals form true reefs when they grow close together and deposit layer after layer of limestone, several feet high Many different kinds of fish depend on coral reefs for food and shelter—places to hide from voracious predators like sharks, groupers and snappers