Coral reefs can be separated into three distinct zones: the back reef, reef crest, and fore-reef (Figure 7). The back reef includes the shallow lagoon between the shore and coral reef. This ...

Coral reefs are some of the world's most diverse ecosystems. Despite making up less than 1% of the world's oceans, one ...

Those polyps clone themselves over and over again, eventually forming larger coral colonies that build reefs. That’s how typical reef-building corals, like the iconic elkhorn and staghorn ...

In large numbers, crown-of-thorns starfish can mow down wide swaths of coral reef. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that Acropora species are in the top three ...

Off the coast of the Maldives, the coral reef “twilight zone” is buzzing with life. This section of reef — categorized as coral reefs at depths between 100 and 500 feet — provides safety ...

Researchers have found that reef fish from the Arabian Gulf, the world's hottest sea, exhibit a higher tolerance to temperature fluctuations compared to those from more thermally stable coral reefs.