WHAT ARE CORAL REEFS?
BY LEO

The Coral Reef
The Coral reef is a
large ecosystem built
out of calcium
carbonate secreted by
corals. Coral reefs are
built by thousands of
tiny colonies that are
inhabited by tiny
animals found in
marine waters that
only have few
nutrients. Most corals
reefs are built around
stone.
Often called "rainforests of the sea", coral
reefs form some of the most diverse
ecosystems on Earth. They occupy less than
0.1% of the world's ocean surface, about half
the area of France, yet they provide a home for
25% of all marine species,[1][2][3] including
fish, mollusks, worms, crustaceans,
echinoderms, sponges, tunicates and other
cnidarians.[4] Paradoxically, coral reefs flourish
even though they are surrounded by ocean
waters that provide few nutrients. They are
most commonly found at shallow depths in
tropical waters, but deep water and cold water
corals also exist on smaller scales in other
areas.

Where can you find a Coral reef?
• Coral reefs flourish in shallow areas (less than 120ft, or
37m) in tropical latitudes
• In deeper waters, not enough light penetrates the depths,
which means the reef's main food producers, algae and
plankton, cannot photosynthesize.
• Large reef-building areas include the Caribbean Sea, the
western Indian Ocean and the western reaches of the
South Pacific.
• Non-tropical coral reef zones include the Red Sea, where
lots of heat from the sun caused by the surrounding desert
climate provides the needed warmth, and Australia's Great
Barrier Reef, which is kept warm by a tropical Pacific Ocean
current.

• The UK's cold water coral reefs have been
hidden from human eyes for thousands of
years and have only recently been
discovered by sophisticated robotic
underwater cameras.
• Just like their tropical cousins, the British
reefs are teaming with exotic and colourful
marine life - from orange feather stars and
giant anemones, to terrifying sea spiders
and red sea urchins.
• Amazingly, the cold water reefs were
unknown just a few years ago.
• But according to scientists, many of the
weird and wonderful reefs around the coast
are in danger of being smashed to pieces
by fishing boats before they can be
explored.
Are there coral reefs in the
UK ?

Thank you!
All sources are below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef
http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/ocean/habitats/coral2.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1252161/UKs-stunning-
cold-water-reefs-danger-smashed-pieces.html