What is the soil of a coral reef?

The Great Barrier reef is a marine coral ecosystem, so no real soil. However, there will be a lot of loose carbonate mud from the breakup of coral and other shell debris, and from the grazing of parrotfish and the like. Carbonate mud is like soil, just made up of calcite particles. read more

According to the non-profit project Coral Science, coral reefs are not lodged in soil. The rocky substance in which they are fixed is made by the corals themselves. They live in colonies made of many polyps that build skeletons from the underside of their skin. read more

When volcanic material reaches near to or above the surface of the ocean- corals can for on the cooled material (lava). The nutrition for the corals comes from the passing sea water - not from the material to which the coral is anchored. read more

Development on land directly affects coral reefs. Deforestation leads to the erosion of tremendous amounts of soil into the sea. Settling on a reef, the soil smothers coral and blocks sunlight from reaching the zooxanthellae. Dredging forchannels further stirs up coral-choking sediment. Pollution is a growing problem, too. read more