Corals And Coral Reefs - Smithsonian Ocean

Home » How Are Coral Reefs Formed » Corals And Coral Reefs - Smithsonian Ocean

Maybe your like

Shallow water coral reefs straddle the equator worldwide.
Shallow water coral reefs straddle the equator worldwide. (©UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre/Global 1KM Version 7.0 Dataset)

Corals are found across the world’s ocean, in both shallow and deep water, but reef-building corals are only found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters. This is because the algae found in their tissues need light for photosynthesis and they prefer water temperatures between 70-85°F (22-29°C).

There are also deep-sea corals that thrive in cold, dark water at depths of up to 20,000 feet (6,000 m). Both stony corals and soft corals can be found in the deep sea. Deep-sea corals do not have the same algae and do not need sunlight or warm water to survive, but they also grow very slowly. One place to find them is on underwater peaks called seamounts.

Tag » How Are Coral Reefs Formed