Reef Grief

There are many types of reefs found in oceans around the world. Coral reefs can be a home to many types of fish who are able to blend in with the reefs in order to camouflage themselves from predators. Despite covering less than one percent of the ocean floor, coral reefs support around 25 percent of all marine species. In addition to protection from predators, some reefs provide food for herbivores such as parrotfish. Parrotfish will eat algae and dead coral along the reefs, therefore they clean the dead parts of the reef. Corals also play a crucial role in the environment which is why they are found all around the world.

            Fringing reefs, barrier reefs, patch reefs, and atolls are all types of coral reefs that are found around the world. Each of these reefs are made in a different way and play their own special role in the ecosystem. Fringing reefs are the most common, they grow around islands and continents near the coastline and are separated from the shore by narrow, shallow lagoons. Barrier reefs grow parallel to the coastline and are separated by deep, wide lagoons. Barrier reefs can grow to the water’s surface forming a “barrier” for navigation at their shallowest point. The most well know barrier reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

            

Patch reefs are smaller, isolated reefs that grow up from the bottom of the continental shelf or island platform. They are usually found in between fringing and barrier reefs. They also can vary in size while they don’t usually grow to the surface of the water. Atolls are reefs that form in a ring shape that protect lagoons that are in the middle of the sea. Atolls usually form when islands surrounded by fringing reefs sink or the sea level rises around them. The islands that sink are often the tops of underwater volcanoes. Over time, the fringing reefs continue to grow above the surface of the water and form the lagoon in the center. Coral reefs provide a service to the ecosystems and to the environment when they are formed, without coral reef there would be a significant change in the environment and food chains. This change is why marine sanctuaries such as those in the Florida Keys are very important for the continued survival of ecosystems and stability of the marine environment.

https://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite/leadership-and-advocacy/parrotfish-the-fish-that-can-save-coral-reefs

https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/corals/biodiversity.html

https://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/coral-reef-ecology/types-of-coral-reef-formations/