Coral reefs are marine structures created by calcifying coral animals and their algal symbionts. Coral reef ecosystems are generally high in biodiversity, most often found in shallow tropical seas ...

members of almost every phyla of plants and animals live and die, adding particles and organic material to the sediment, and contributing to the efficient functioning of the coral reef ecosystem.

Life on the Great Barrier Reef is undergoing big changes in the face of climate change and other human-caused pressures, a ...

With lows in the 30s forecast for some parts of Florida into next week, wildlife could be at risk again. Here are 5 ...

Coral reefs provide an important ecosystem for life underwater, protect coastal areas by reducing the power ... They help protect areas such as mangrove forests and seagrass beds that act as nurseries ...

Polyps grow slowly, forming different shapes and sizes depending on their species. Assisted by other animals with calcium carbonate skeletons and also coralline algae, corals form complex, ...

This is deeply concerning as it suggests that, as ecosystems warm due to climate change, species will disappear from an ...

But scientists studying reefs on tropical islands say the animals directly threaten the survival of these ecosystems. A team working on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean found that invasive ...

Tropical rainforests and coral reefs are both highly complex ecosystems that are rich in biodiversity. Coral reefs are often described as underwater rainforests. -- Maui Ocean Center photo ...

An ecosystem is a group of animals, plants and microorganisms that ... Some ecosystems like coral reefs, rainforests and woodlands have lots of communities of living things. Others like deserts ...