coral reef

noun
1.
a reef composed mainly of coral and other organic matter of which parts have solidified into limestone.
Origin
1735-45
Examples from the web for coral reef
  • Lionfish herd smaller fish into pockets of coral reef or up against barriers and then swallow the prey in a single strike.
  • coral reef team with a mind-boggling array of life in waters that are often nutrient poor.
  • Too small to escape the waves with his family, he was stranded on a coral reef.
  • The heat is hurting and even killing big pieces of the world's largest coral reef.
  • Aquaculture is a growing industry in and around coral reef resources.
  • coral reef ecosystems sustain abundant and diverse tropical marine life.
British Dictionary definitions for coral reef

coral reef

noun
1.
a marine ridge or reef consisting of coral and other organic material consolidated into limestone
coral reef in Science
coral reef  
A mound or ridge of living coral, coral skeletons, and calcium carbonate deposits from other organisms such as calcareous algae, mollusks, and protozoans. Most coral reefs form in warm, shallow sea waters and rise to or near the surface, generally in the form of a barrier reef, fringing reef, or atoll. Coral reefs grow upward from the sea floor as the polyps of new corals cement themselves to the skeletons of those below and in turn provide support for algae and other organisms whose secretions serve to bind the skeletons together. The resulting structure provides a critical habitat for a wide variety of fish and marine invertebrates. Coral reefs also protect shores against erosion by causing large waves to break and lose some of their force before reaching land. The Great Barrier Reef off the northeastern coast of Australia extends for some 2,000 km (1,240 mi), making it the world's largest coral reef.
coral reef in Culture

coral reef definition


A formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals, a form of sea life.

Note: Coral reefs form a protective environment for a wide variety of marine animals.
Note: Atolls — ring-shaped islands that nearly or entirely enclose a lagoon — are coral reefs.
Note: The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
Note: Coral reefs are very sensitive to chemical pollution and changes in temperature and are considered to be in danger from environmental stress.