Coral - Wikipedia
WEBCorals are colonial marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.
Coral | Definition, Types, Location, & Facts | Britannica
WEB2 days ago · Coral, any of a variety of invertebrate marine organisms of the class Anthozoa that are characterized by skeletons—external or internal—of a stonelike, horny, or leathery consistency. The term coral is also applied to the skeletons of those animals, particularly to those of the stonelike corals.
Are corals animals or plants? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
WEBCorals actually comprise an ancient and unique partnership, called symbiosis, that benefits both animal and plant life in the ocean. Corals are animals, though, because they do not make their own food, as plants do.
Coral - National Geographic Society
WEBJul 18, 2024 · Though coral may look like a colorful plant growing from roots in the seafloor, it is actually an animal. Corals are known as colonial organisms, because many individual creatures live and grow while connected to each other.
Corals - National Geographic
WEBCoral can be found in tropical ocean waters around the world. But how much do you know about reefs and the tiny animals—polyps—that build them? Learn all about coral and why warming waters...
Corals Tutorial: What are corals? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
WEBThis tutorial is an overview of the biology of and threats to coral reefs, as well as efforts being made to conserve and protect them. It includes images, animations, and videos. Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
Are corals animals, plants, or something else?
WEBCorals are, in fact, animals. They are invertebrates (animals lacking a backbone) belonging to the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa. What we often call “a coral” is actually made up of hundreds or thousands of individual animals called polyps.
Corals - National Geographic Society
WEBCorals are small marine animals. The “hard” type of coral grows with the help of algae, which gives it color and nutrients that help it form a sturdy, stony skeleton. Reefs, which form through the accumulation of hard coral, are a vital ecosystem, supporting an estimated 25 percent of ocean species.
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) - Coral Facts
WEBWhat is a coral? (Coral: Plant, Animal, or Mineral?) Structure of a typical coral polyp. Corals are animals, even though they may exhibit some of the characteristics of plants and are often mistaken for rocks. In scientific classification, corals fall under the phylum Cnidaria and the class Anthozoa. They are relatives of jellyfish and anemones.
Coral Reefs and Corals - Smithsonian Ocean
WEBReefs form when corals grow in shallow water close to the shore of continents or smaller islands. The majority of coral reefs are called fringe reefs because they fringe the coastline of a nearby landmass. But when a coral reef grows around a volcanic island something interesting occurs.