Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs

2011 Edition
| Editors: David Hopley

Corals: Biology, Skeletal Deposition, and Reef-Building

  • John E. N. Veron
Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_9
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Definition

Scleractinian corals (Phylum Coelenterata, Class Anthozoa, Order Scleractinia – the true stony corals alive today) have been building coral reefs for 250 million years, reefs that are the biggest structures ever made by living organisms.

Introduction

Scleractinian corals have a simple structure. Their bodies are sac-like polyps that usually grow together to form colonies. They have a body wall with only two cell layers and a skeleton made of calcium carbonate which is actually outside their body so that the living polyp grows on its skeleton (Figure 1). This simple structure allows most corals to form complex colonies that are readily modified to suit a wide range of environments. Modern coral reefs are principally made of calcium carbonate that has been derived from coral skeletons and cemented into a wave-resistant structure by coralline algae (see  Coral Reef, Definition). Whereas coralline algae generally have a wider distribution range than corals, both flourish in...
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • John E. N. Veron
    • 1
  1. 1.Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleAustralia and