Basically there are two kinds of marine organisms that form coral reefs. These are algae and polyps.Algae are plants that take water and minerals directly into their cells from the water. They need sunlight to survive and are thus found in tropical waters. They form lime coatings on the rocks of coral reefs that help polyps to make calcium carbonate to form shells and skeletons.
One variety of algae, red algae, produces a scarlet crust even at depths of 70 meters. A polyp is a tiny coral animal the size of a pinhead or at the most the human fingernail. It has a simple tube like body with tentacles at one end. Polyps take calcium carbonate from the sea water to form shells and skeletons.
They live in large colonies, each polyp residing in a tiny cup of coral. They feed on tiny swimming organisms such as larvae and tiny shellfish, as well as plenty of algae. They reproduce either from eggs or by a budding process, whereby small buds develop into new polyps. When they die, their skeletons are cemented into coralline limestone, on the top of which new generations of corals grow to extend the reef colonies.
One variety of algae, red algae, produces a scarlet crust even at depths of 70 meters. A polyp is a tiny coral animal the size of a pinhead or at the most the human fingernail. It has a simple tube like body with tentacles at one end. Polyps take calcium carbonate from the sea water to form shells and skeletons.
They live in large colonies, each polyp residing in a tiny cup of coral. They feed on tiny swimming organisms such as larvae and tiny shellfish, as well as plenty of algae. They reproduce either from eggs or by a budding process, whereby small buds develop into new polyps. When they die, their skeletons are cemented into coralline limestone, on the top of which new generations of corals grow to extend the reef colonies.
