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Coral Reefs are the "Rainforests" of the ocean. Reefs are ecologically important ecosystems and have a high biodiversity that serves as a storage bank of rich genetic resources. They are a source of food and medicine, and they protect the coast from wave erosion.

Corals are marine animals related to jellyfish and anemones. Both colonial and solitary corals catch plankton (microscopic plants and animals) and other suspended food particles with arm-like tentacles, which feed a centrally located mouth. Most hard corals also host symbiotic algae, a long-standing and successful partnership. These algae provide them with an additional food source through photosynthesis. Coral reefs are formed by corals that secrete hard calcareous (aragonite) exoskeletons, giving them structural rigidity. These colonial “hard corals” form elaborate finger-shaped, branching, or moundshaped structures and can create masses of limestone that stretch for tens or even hundreds of miles.
Although corals have a wide distribution in the world’s oceans, the varieties that form reefs are typically restricted to relatively shallow, warm tropical waters between latitudes 30° north and 30° south. Clean, clear water is essential to their health. Once coral larvae settle on a hard substrate and become established, colonies can arise if conditions are suitable for growth. Given enough time, coral colonies become thickets. As coral thickets build upward on the skeletal remains of older colonies, a reef is established. Today, richly diverse coral reefs are found in the tropics along coastlines, on the margins of volcanic islands, and as isolated coral atolls.

There are two distinct regions in which coral reefs are primarily distributed: the Wider Caribbean (Atlantic Ocean) and the Indo-Pacific (from East Africa and the Red Sea to the Central Pacific Ocean).

The diversity of coral is far greater in the Indo-Pacific, particularly around Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. Many other groups of marine fauna show similar patterns, with a much greater diversity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Although they possess a smaller number of species the corals of the Atlantic are still unique, with few common species between the two regions .

• Fact: Coral reefs are among the oldest ecosystems on Earth.
• Fact: Coral reefs are the largest living structure on the planet.
• Fact: Although coral reefs cover less than 1% of the Earth’s surface, they are home to 25% of all marine fish species.
• Fact: 500 million people rely on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods.
• Fact: Coral reefs form natural barriers that protect nearby shorelines from the eroding forces of the sea, thereby protecting coastal dwellings, agricultural land and beaches.
• Fact: Without the existence of coral reefs, parts of Florida would be under water.
• Fact: Coral reefs have been used in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases and ulcers.
• Fact: Corals' porous limestone skeletons have been used for human bone grafts.
• Fact: It is estimated that coral reefs provide $375 billion per year around the world in goods and services.
• Fact: If the present rate of destruction continues, 70% of the world's coral reefs will be destroyed by the year 2050.
• Types of Coral Reefs-Click Here
• Coral Reef Threats-Click Here
• Coral Reefs in The Florida Keys-Click Here
• U.S. Coral Reefs-Click Here
• Great Barrier Reef-Click Here

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