సముద్ర శాస్త్రం: పరిశోధన & అభివృద్ధి

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. They held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals.

Most of the coral reefs we can see today were formed after the last glacial period when melting ice caused the sea level to rise and flood the continental shelves. This means that most modern coral reefs are less than 10,000 years old. As communities established themselves on the shelves, the reefs grew upwards, pacing rising sea levels. Reefs that rose too slowly could become drowned reefs. They are covered by so much water that there was insufficient light.

Related Journals of Coral Reefs

Oceanography: Open Access, Marine Biology & Oceanography, Coastal Zone Management, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, Journal of Coastal Research, Journal of The Marine Biological Association of The United Kingdom.