what are the main characteristics of coral reefs?
528606
Coral characteristics Shallow water, reef-building corals have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae, which live in their tissues. The coral provides a protected environment and the compounds zooxanthellae need for photosynthesis.
182155
['Variation. Organisms (within populations) exhibit individual variation in appearance and behavior. ... ', 'Inheritance. Some traits are consistently passed on from parent to offspring. ... ', 'High rate of population growth. ... ', 'Differential survival and reproduction.']
735781
Coral reefs are home to millions of species. Hidden beneath the ocean waters, coral reefs teem with life. Fish, corals, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges, and sea turtles are only a few of the thousands of creatures that rely on reefs for their survival.
943072
Coral reefs begin to form when free-swimming coral larvae attach to submerged rocks or other hard surfaces along the edges of islands or continents. As the corals grow and expand, reefs take on one of three major characteristic structures — fringing, barrier or atoll.
493522
['Warm ocean waters of at least 78°F (26°C)', 'At least 5° latitude from the equator.', 'Low vertical wind shear.', 'Moisture in the mid-troposphere.', 'Unstable Conditions.', 'Pre-existing disturbance.']
34273
['Fast growth.', 'Rapid reproduction.', 'High dispersal ability.', 'Phenotype plasticity (the ability to alter growth form to suit current conditions)', 'Tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions (Ecological competence)']
571803
Properties of Life. All living organisms share several key characteristics or functions: order, sensitivity or response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, regulation, homeostasis, and energy processing.
678710
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. ... Sometimes called rainforests of the sea, shallow coral reefs form some of Earth's most diverse ecosystems.
365014
['These are exclusively marine animals.', 'The larval forms show bilateral symmetry and adult forms show radial symmetry.', 'They are triploblastic.', 'It exhibits organ system grade of organisation.', 'They have a true coelom.', 'The body is uniquely shaped.']
388079
Coral reefs are unaffected by pollution. Humans have impacted the rainforests through mining, agriculture, and construction. The Earth's history has had a significant effect on the characteristics of its organisms and biomes.
91066
Corals Tutorial. Coral reefs begin to form when free-swimming coral larvae attach to submerged rocks or other hard surfaces along the edges of islands or continents. As the corals grow and expand, reefs take on one of three major characteristic structures — fringing, barrier or atoll.
62235
['responsiveness to the environment;', 'growth and change;', 'ability to reproduce;', 'have a metabolism and breathe;', 'maintain homeostasis;', 'being made of cells; and.', 'passing traits onto offspring.']
693603
A coral reef is made of thin layers of calcium carbonate Coral polyps form a living mat over a calcium carbonate skeleton. Stony corals (or scleractinians) are the corals primarily responsible for laying the foundations of, and building up, reef structures.
283198
['Radially Symmetrical.', 'Body multicellular, few tissues, some organelles.', 'Body contains an internal cavity and a mouth.', 'Two different forms exist, medusa and polyp.', 'Reproduction is asexual or sexual.', 'Has a simple net like nervous system.', 'Has a distinct larval stage which is planktonic.']
560704
['They are planktonic. ... ', 'They are small. ... ', 'They are motile. ... ', 'Many are thecate, having an internal skeleton of cellulose-like plates. ... ', 'Their chromosomes are always condensed. ... ', 'Not all dinoflagellates are photosynthetic.']
219006
Temperature and sunlight are two abiotic factors found in nearly every ecosystem, but since the Great Barrier Reef is an aquatic ecosystem, it has some additional abiotic components, including buoyancy, viscosity, light penetration, salts, gases and water density.
1260340
['tectonics;', 'exposure to waves, winds, and ocean currents;', 'tidal range and intensity of current;']