Reef

Browse ScienceInfo articles and explainers related to Reef.

Topic archive

Articles about Reef

252 published items.

How Does a Coral Reef Ecosystem Work?
Oceanography

How Does a Coral Reef Ecosystem Work?

A coral reef ecosystem is a network of corals, algae, fishes, invertebrates, microbes and physical processes that recycle energy and nutrients in nutrient-poor tropical…

September 11, 2026
Why Are Coral Reefs Important?
Oceanography

Why Are Coral Reefs Important?

Coral reefs matter because their physical structure and biological productivity support diverse marine communities and provide services to people. Their value is ecologi…

September 11, 2026
What Is Coral Bleaching?
Oceanography

What Is Coral Bleaching?

Coral bleaching happens when stressed corals lose or expel much of the symbiotic algae living in their tissues. Because those algae provide color and a major share of th…

September 11, 2026
What Are Coral Reefs and How Do They Form?
Oceanography

What Are Coral Reefs and How Do They Form?

Coral reefs are biological structures built mainly by colonies of tiny coral animals that secrete calcium carbonate skeletons. Over many generations, those skeletons acc…

May 3, 2024
The world is experiencing mass coral bleaching
Oceanography

The world is experiencing mass coral bleaching

Coral reefs around the world are experiencing mass bleaching due to the climate crisis causing ocean temperatures to rise, two scientific agencies announced on April 15.

April 17, 2024