Coral reef (Q454)
Subject, term, tag: Coral reef
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Coral reef |
Subject, term, tag: Coral reef |
Statements
IPCC Glossary v1.5
1 reference
27 May 2026
An underwater ecosystem characterised by structure-building stony corals. Warm-water coral reefs occur in shallow seas, mostly in the tropics, with the corals (animals) containing algae (plants) that depend on light and relatively stable temperature conditions. Cold-water coral reefs occur throughout the world, mostly at water depths of 50–500 m. In both kinds of reef, living corals frequently grow on older, dead material, predominantly made of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3). Both warm and cold-water coral reefs support high biodiversity of fish and other groups, and are considered to be especially vulnerable to climate change. From Wikipedia 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. (English)
IPCC Glossary v1.5
1 reference
27 May 2026