Where are coral reefs located?

Coral reefs are found in more than 100 countries around the world. Most reefs are located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, in the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf. read more

Coral reefs are found in all three of the Earth's oceans that have portions in the tropics - the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian. However, coral reefs are not randomly scattered throughout each of these great ocean basins (see map below). read more

Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine water that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. read more

Reefs, which are usually made up of many colonies, are much bigger still. The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef, which spans 1,600 miles (2,600 km) off the east coast of Australia. It is so large that it can be seen from space! It takes a long time to grow a big coral colony or a coral reef, because each coral grows slowly. read more