coral reef

noun

1. a reef composed mainly of coral and other organic matter of which parts have solidified into limestone.

coral reef

noun

1. a marine ridge or reef consisting of coral and other organic material consolidated into limestone

coral reef

1. 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

1. A formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals, a form of sea life.

Notes

Atolls — ring-shaped islands that nearly or entirely enclose a lagoon — are coral reefs.

Coral reefs form a protective environment for a wide variety of marine animals.

Coral reefs are very sensitive to chemical pollution and changes in temperature and are considered to be in danger from environmental stress.

The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef of Australia .

Word History and Origins

Origin of coral reef¹

First recorded in 1735–45

Example Sentences

Researchers in Australia say temperatures in and around the vast coral reef over the past decade are the highest recorded in 400 years.

From BBC

The dazzling centerpiece is the “Crochet Coral Reef,” an ever-expanding sculpture inspired by the decimation of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

From Los Angeles Times

Researchers in Australia say temperatures in and around the vast coral reef over the past decade are the highest recorded in 400 years.

From BBC

That force is all but invisible until it suddenly rides up a steep, smooth ramp on the ocean floor, curls into a spectacular barrel — more like a slab of concrete than water — and slams, with astonishing fury, into a razor-sharp coral reef on the southern tip of Tahiti.

From Los Angeles Times

Anyone who times their ride wrong, takes off in anything but the perfect spot or fails to paddle hard enough to match the speed of the wave, runs the risk of getting pounded into the coral reef below by all that rushing water: Imagine being shoved across a cheese grater by a steam roller.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• atoll
• beach
• shoal