The photograph above shows part of the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world, which extends along Australia’s northeast coast. Other reefs are found between latitudes 30°N and 30°S, for example off the coast of Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji and most Caribbean islands.
Coral looks like rock but is in fact a living organism covered in algae, which grows slowly over hundreds of years. Coral polyps are marine invertebrates which typically form compact colonies. They secrete calcium carbonate, which forms a hard skeleton that slowly builds into a reef. Coral attracts many other species of marine plants and animals, creating a diverse and complex ecosystem.
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