The Three Kinds of Coral Reefs -- Foundations Made By Millions of Tiny Animals
Coral reefs are misunderstood by most folks who are unaware of the biology existing there. Coral reefs are not dead areas of rocks just beneath the surface of the sea, but are complex communities of diverse animal and plant types, which provide for much of the oceanic food chain. Coral reefs are fragile--with global warming and certain human activities can drastically affect and perhaps wipe out many coral reef environments.
And, coral reefs are usually are usually composed of more than one kind of coral. The coral animal (yes, it's an animal!) is related to jellyfish and sea anemones. Although the larvae of coral animals are free-swimming, they quickly settle down and start to form their calcium shell--their "skeleton" that eventually forms part of the "cement" that builds a coral reef. Because coral animals are restricted to staying within their self-imposed "apartment", they feed by filtering plankton that flows through their tentacles. Sea anemones feed in a similar manner, but the sea anemones are more mobile and can actively sting and grab stunned fish. Jellyfish actively swim and can sting, stun, and grab their prey in that manner.
Contents at a Glance
- "Terraced Fringing Reef Flat" East Side (Pacific Side) of Guam
- Razor Coral on Rock Substrate, University of Guam Marine Laboratory
"Terraced Fringing Reef Flat" East Side (Pacific Side) of Guam
"Coral reefs are fragile environments at risk from global warming and human activities..."
Razor Coral on Rock Substrate, University of Guam Marine Laboratory
Coral Reefs Can Be a Moving Experience--These Vids Show It in Motion!
Fort Lauderdale Coral reef
The Coral Reef pt.2
great barrier reef
Coral Reef on the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef Movie - 2007 geography Assignment
Sailing Beyond the Reef -- in Blue Hawaii
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Video of Submarine Ride Around Coral Reef on Maui, Hawaii
If you don't want to SCUBA dive, this is the next best thing!
Maui, Hawaii Submarine Trip
A quick trip aboard the submarine from Atlantis Submarines in Maui, Hawaii on July 16, 2006. Medium quality as it was shot using the movie feature on a Canon still digital camera and not a video camera.
Guam Fringing Reef Flat as Seen from Above
Three Kinds of Coral Reef -- The Fringing Reef
Usually found around islands, the fringing reef provides a protective platform between the island shore and the open ocean.
When volcanic action pushes above the sea level in tropical areas and forms an island, when the new land cools, it is slowly populated. First, birds use it as a landing place after long periods of flying. They nest there and provide extra "fertilizer" to make the volcanic soil rich enough to support plant life. Some of the birds may have plant seeds stuck to their feathers or may have swallowed fruits only to defecate the seeds along with the fertilizer. These seeds germinate and take hold--eventually forming the ground cover plant life for the island. Floating fruits also arrive on the shores of the island. Some take hold and form the beach strand vegetation. In the shallows around the island, coral larvae finally settle on the substrate. Eventually, they form the fringing reef of the island. But this process takes thousands of years. 
Exploring a Western Pacific (Guam) Fringing Reef Flat During Low Tide
The Coral Reef by the Bay -- eBay, That Is!
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Pink Coral and Green, Brown, and Red Algae on a Western Pacific Coral Reef as Seen from Above Water
Three Kinds of Coral Reef -- The Barrier Reef
The Most Famous Barrier Reef is that on the Pacific Ocean Side of Australia
Sometimes the volcanic island starts to resubmerge after many thousands of years--or the sea level rises. When this happens, the corals at the reef front (at the edge of the open ocean) form a higher growing ridge and the corals on the island side of the reef start to die off as sand and silt deposit over them and as the water gets more stagnant with less oceanic flow. Over time, a lagoon surrounds the island, enclosed within the barrier reef. In the case of Australia, the barrier reef is far enough away from the Australian mainland such that it is growing on both sides. 
A Calm West Side Reef Flat on Guam is Great for Swimming and Relaxing!
Study Coral Reefs on Your Own
When you can't go there yourself, reading about it is the next best thing!
Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas
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Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History
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Coral Reef Coloring Book
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The Shack
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The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (Oprah Book Club #62)
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A Classic View of An Atoll - Majuro as Seen by Approaching Plane. Note the Runway at Top Right Corner!
Three Kinds of Coral Reef -- The Atoll
When there's no more Volcanic Island at all, there's an Atoll.
Atoll pictured here: MajuroWhen the volcanic island subsides enough (or the sea level rises enough) the coral at the reef front has grown higher such that it begins to approach the height of the peak of the volcano. Eventually after many years, the peak of the volcano subsides completely within the fringe of the reef, giving the resulting reef front and reef platform a ring shape--the classic appearance of an Atoll. Islands in Micronesia that are atolls are Kwajalein, Majuro, Eniwetok, and perhaps the most famous one, Bikini.
Why Not Study Coral Reefs in Person? Just Go There and Have Fun!
Words and pictures sometimes can't adequately describe the experience of snorkeling or scuba diving on a living coral reef! The experience is like none other!
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Reefs I've Seen -- The Islands of Micronesia
The island of Guam in the Western Pacific demonstrates two of the three reef types-- in the southern part of the island, there is a wide channel separating the island from a small island on what could be considered a barrier reef. The small island is Cocos Island--a popular tourist destination for day trips from the main island of Guam. The other reefs around the island are fringing reefs--usually wide platforms extending sometimes almost a mile away from the island shore to the reef front. On the Philippine Sea side (west) of the island, the reef flats are expansive on most of the indented bays. Except for Pago Bay on the East side of the island (which has a very large reef flat on both sides of the Pago River outlet, the reef flats are usually more narrow--they are exposed to the rougher seas of the open Pacific Ocean. This side of the island gets the brunt of incoming typhoons and the reefs sustain a lot of damage during the storms.The islands of the Republic of Belau are mostly surrounded by fringing reefs--but they are also examples of karst topography--limestone outcroppings that form the famous "Rock Islands" of Palau. Babeldaob island, Koror, and Arakebesang form the three main islands of Belau... other islands in this group include Pelelu and Angaur and Ngermiaus. The island groups of Yap and Truk (Chuuk) are similar with their fringing reefs--but Chuuk is also an atoll--and is the site of the famous World War II battle between the Japanese fleet and American aircraft carrier planes. There are many sunken ships in the Chuuk lagoon. Pohnapei is a raised volcanic island with a large fringing reef. It is the site of mysterious basalt rock structures built by an ancient civilization to an aquatic city called Nan Madol. As one moves East across the Pacific toward Hawaii, you come to the true atolls of Majuro, Kwajelein, Eniwetok, and Bikini. Going north from there you reach Hawaii. Going south from there, across the equator, you will reach Tahiti and the Marquesas. Tahiti and the Marquesas are volcanic raised islands with fringing and barrier reefs.
Massive Schools of Fish Make their Home on Coral Reefs. This one is in Palau.
Links to the Reef! Better ways to get to know a coral reef!
- Read up on Coral Reefs and the critters that inhabit them with some great books from Tracy Books online!
- Glenn and Winnie Coleto are the owners of Tracy Books--a great little store that although has a *physical presence* has a fantastic online presence as well. With Winnie's background as a librarian and Glenn's experience with many years at the U.S. Post Office, this great combination helps you to find the books you want shipped perfectly per your needs! When you order books from them--tell them you heard about them from EditorDave! (This will surprise them )
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory
- Perched on a ledge below the main University of Guam campus and just above the coral reef flat of Pago Bay, the University of Guam Marine Laboratory is a world-class research laboratory with many breakthroughs in coral reef and tropical marine science. This is where I was studying for my MS in biology and working as a research aide and photographer/phototechnician.
- Guam's Fish-Eye Marine Park!
- Wow! What better way to see a living coral reef than by walking down below the surface and keeping totally dry while gazing out at the fish, sea turtles, the corals, and other denizens of the deep! This Marine Park is a special place to see when you visit Guam!
- Dave's Photo Images on Goodies from CafePress
- If you like the photo images on the CafePress module above, you might like the ones here as well.
- Poseidon Resorts--Spend a few nights on the reef! UNDERWATER!
- If you really have the urge to see a coral reef up close and personal--and spend a night or two or even a week underwater, this website shows you how you can do that! The movie on the opening page is a neat introduction to what a coral reef is like and all the animals that live there.
- If you want to explore the reef yourself without getting wet, try this link on Submarines!
- This is another Squidoo lens... on Submarines. Lots of links to the fun and interesting aspects of submarines--the fantasy subs, the tourist subs, the hobbyist-homemade subs, the research subs, and the military subs. Come by and visit!
- Palau International Coral Reef Center
- This educational resource about coral reefs is based in the Republic of Balau (Palau). You can see it in person if you go there, or, you can just explore their website here!
- Coral Reef Alliance -- Don't Feed the Fish!
- Feeding wild fish is just as disastrous to the coral reef ecology as feeding the forest wildlife is to the forest habitats!
You can disrupt the delicate ecological balance of nature by feeding the fish or also from pollution!
Sample of Fish that Make a Tropical Pacific Coral Reef Their Home
Drop a note before you go beyond the reef!
naturegirl7 wrote...
Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens link to the appropriate plexo and vote for it.
Posted November 30, 2008
driewe wrote...
Great lens on Coral, I gave you 5 stars and added to my favorites
Climate Change and Global Warming
Posted December 28, 2007
Karendelac wrote...
I am passionate about the worlds oceans and your lens is a solid 5 stars. I have just completed a State-of-the-Art Titanic Lens ~~ Please click on Karendelac above, to view it.
Posted October 10, 2007
Gatsby wrote...
5* It is amazing how much ocean life lives in an depends on that stuff. Dog Whisper With Rena
Posted October 04, 2007
DogWhisperWoman wrote...
5* Before reading this lens I only knew two things about coarl. It is alive and not to touch it because the beterica on our hands is enough to kill it. Dog Whisper Woman
Posted October 04, 2007
Classic wrote...
Dave, excellent lens! Thank you for submitting it to my group Nature and Environment! If you have time, please visit my new lens about the Tanabata Star Festival, or any other ones you like. Have a great day!
Posted August 28, 2007
scubaguy wrote...
Terrific info here, thanks. I have a lens on scuba diving. Please visit and rate if you'd like.
Posted July 11, 2007
