Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs (pronunciation: /ˈkɔːrəl riːfs/) are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals.
Etymology
The term "Coral" comes from the Greek word 'Korallion', referring to the ancient belief that corals were the petrified remains of trees deep under the sea. "Reef" is derived from the Middle English word 'ref', meaning a ridge or shelf, typically of rock or sand running along the shore.
Definition
Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps belong to a group of animals known as Cnidaria, which also includes sea anemones and jellyfish.
Related Terms
- Cnidaria: A phylum containing over 10,000 species of animals found exclusively in aquatic (freshwater and marine) environments: they are predominantly marine species.
- Polyps: A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are roughly cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the vase-shaped body.
- Calcium Carbonate: A common substance found in rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite (most notably as limestone, which is a type of sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcite) and is the main component of pearls and the shells of marine organisms, snails, and eggs.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Coral Reefs
- Wikipedia's article - Coral Reefs
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