Coral and Coral Reef - The Builders: Corals And Coralline Algae, Biology Of Corals, Coral Reef Distribution, Environmental Setting And Requirements
Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems, supporting greater numbers of fish species and other organisms than any other marine ecosystem. Coral reefs are located in warm, shallow, tropical marine waters with enough light to stimulate the growth of the reef organisms. The primary reef-building organisms are invertebrate animals known as corals; corals secrete the bulk of the calcium carbonate (limestone) that makes up the inorganic reef structure, along with material deposited by coralline algae, mollusks, and sponges.
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