 |
|
 |
|
How is a coral reef made?
Coral reefs are very complicated structures, full of holes and small gaps
that are shared by many creatures. As corals in a colony die, they leave
behind their skeletons. New corals then build their skeletons on top of
the old ones. A coral tree is made up of layer after layer of dead corals'
skeletons covered by a thin layer of living corals. Millions of coral trees
together make up a coral reef.
Although corals make up most of a corals reef's structure, thousands of other animals and plants also help. Seaweed, algae, sand and even clams and oysters also live on coral reefs and, like the corals, add to the reef when they die.
