The largest Coral Reef is the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises of over 3000 individual reef system. Also the great barrier reef is 1,250 miles long. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The reef is bigger then the "The Great Wall of China". Reef systems and coral cays are from the picture of tropical islands with some of the worlds most beautiful,golden beaches. If you go to The Great Barrier reef you can scuba dive, snorkel, air craft and helicopter tours. Because of its beauty the Great Barrier Reef has be come one of the worlds most sought after tourist destination.

Reefs look like underwater gardens. The red corals is a type of reef it is found in the Mediterranean sea. The red corals is used for jewelry for centuries. The red corals is in the coastal waters of Japan. Also the largest reefs are found in the warmer portions of the Pacific and Indian ocean. Reefs are composed for numerous species of corals. Certain species like fish spend their life in corals. In the lagoons coral reefs are off the coast of more than twenty countries that were hurt by coral bleaching and more. Long term damage occurs when the the corals are knocked down by freighters or boat anchors.

Reefs in Florida keys holds at least forty-five species of stony corals and more. Corals are ancient animals related to Jellyfish and Anemones. Reefs only occur in shallow areas that are reachable by sunlight because of the relationship between coral and algae. Most nesting coral reef threat marine current sea. Coral reefs are home of twenty-five percent of all marine life on the planet. Coral reefs are also invertebrate animals. Usually individual corals are referred to as a polyp. The corals species that build coral reefs are known as "hard".

The biggest coral reefs are found in clear shallow waters. Fringing reefs follow the coastline, but they go up to the beach at some points. Most coral reefs are submerged but some may be above the surface forming some islands. Some coral reefs live in the depths of nearly 19,000 feet. Also reef building corals live in the shallow waters less than 300 feet. Some coral reefs are found in the Caribbean and in the gulf of Mexico and far north of them is Florida. Most coral reefs are in the class of hydozoa.

Atolls are in the circular form surrounding a central lagoon of calm waters. The class of hydrozoa has more then 6.000 living species. Fish use the corals for refuge from predators. Corals are common for fossil records caused by there skeletons. The corals bad stuff is caused by algae provides certain nutrients and particularly carbon. Bleaching maybe caused by rising water temperatures which the corals cannot withstand. In a lot of places corals have been destroyed by people. People pose the greatest deaths to coral reefs.

One quarter of all ocean species depend on reefs. Reefs usually develop in areas with a lot of waves. Waves also prevent sediment from falling on the reef. The value of a coral reef is thirty billion US dollars. Reefs need calcium from the water to grow. The water has to be sixty-eight to eighty-two degrees. They get more calcium from shallow warm water.

Coral reefs provide valuable sources to humans. People say they are rocky mounds and ridges formed in the sea by living things. They are so diverse that coral reefs are often called the rain forest of the sea.

Nesting coral are threats to the marine current sea. Live supported by coral reefs rivals that the tropical forest of the Amazon on New Guinea.