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coral reef
noun
- a reef composed mainly of coral and other organic matter of which parts have solidified into limestone.
coral reef
noun
- a marine ridge or reef consisting of coral and other organic material consolidated into limestone
coral reef
- A mound or ridge of living coral, coral skeletons, and calcium carbonate deposits from other organisms such as calcareous algae, mollusks, and protozoans. Most coral reefs form in warm, shallow sea waters and rise to or near the surface, generally in the form of a barrier reef , fringing reef , or atoll . Coral reefs grow upward from the sea floor as the polyps of new corals cement themselves to the skeletons of those below and in turn provide support for algae and other organisms whose secretions serve to bind the skeletons together. The resulting structure provides a critical habitat for a wide variety of fish and marine invertebrates. Coral reefs also protect shores against erosion by causing large waves to break and lose some of their force before reaching land. The Great Barrier Reef off the northeastern coast of Australia extends for some 2,000 km (1,240 mi), making it the world's largest coral reef.
coral reef
- A formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals, a form of sea life.
Notes
Word History and Origins
Origin of coral reef1
Example Sentences
California moray eels live in coral reefs from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to southern Baja California in Mexico, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Within his first days reporting for Olympics duty, Jost had injured his left foot on the island’s coral reefs.
Researchers in Australia say temperatures in and around the vast coral reef over the past decade are the highest recorded in 400 years.
The animals also rely on habitats like coral reefs and mangroves that humans are destroying, all of which makes "it harder for sharks to find suitable breeding, nursery and feeding grounds," Rummer said.
Previous studies by the research team have shown that seabirds play a critical role in cycling nutrients from the deep ocean onto islands, and then onto adjacent coral reefs surrounding the islands.
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