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.
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