coral reef: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 22, 2026

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Maui Coral Reef Holds Secrets Of The Past — And The Future • Oct. 22, 2026, 12:38 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	organic reef

Photos and Videos

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

A crown of thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, with a round body covered in long, sharp orange spines, rests on a coral reef.

Underwater view of a shallow coral reef off Guam showing widespread coral bleaching, with many corals appearing white and lacking vibrant color.

Dense coral reef in the Red Sea with clusters of colorful corals and many small orange fish swimming in clear blue water.

A scuba diver swims above a colorful coral reef in the Maldives, surrounded by schools of small orange fish and several butterflyfish among the rocks.

A vibrant underwater scene shows a school of small orange fish swimming around bright red soft coral and other coral formations in clear blue water, Egypt.

How do corals reproduce?

What causes coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef?

How can coral reefs be protected from sunscreen damage?

Behaviors of butterflyfish and squirrelfish

Various fish species in South Pacific coral reefs

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Topics

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Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Ordovician Period: Reefs

Key People

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin

British naturalist

James D. Dana

James D. Dana

American geologist and mineralogist

Alexander Agassiz

Alexander Agassiz

Swiss-born zoologist, oceanographer, and engineer

Murray, Sir John

Sir John Murray

Scottish Canadian oceanographer

Chutes d'Ekom - a waterfall on the Nkam river in the rainforest near Melong, in the western highlands of Cameroon in Africa.

Ecosystems

Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)

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