Coral Distribution in SriLanka.

Coral Distribution in SriLanka.

Another map for coral distribution in Sri Lanka :-
Important recorded coral reef areas in Sri Lanka. Source: NARA; Rajasuriya and White 1995.

What Are Coral Reefs?

What Are Coral Reefs?

Coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of coral, which are marine invertebrate animals. The reef makes good places for many other animals, such as fish, crabs, clams, and sponges.

Each individual coral is referred to as a polyp. New coral polyps live on the calcium carbonate exoskeletons of their ancestors, adding their own exoskeleton to the existing coral structure. As the centuries pass, the coral reef slowly grows, one tiny exoskeleton at a time, until they become massive features of the submarine environment.

colonies can be shaped like a brain, a mushroom, a cabbage, or many other things. With all these corals gathered together building skeletons around themselves, large coral formations are made. Together, all the coral formations in one place make up a coral reef.

Coral

 

Corals are marine invertebrates in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.