Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters
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Distribution of Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs are found throughout tropical and subtropical oceans in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic, normally between the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer (30ºS, 30ºN latitude). However, they also occur outside this range where warm water currents travel outside this band, as is the case where the Gulf Stream Current brings warm tropical water from the Caribbean north to the islands of Bermuda.
Global Distribution
Coral Reefs are estimated to cover only 0.1% of the Earth’s surface, about 235,000 sq miles, and are within depths less than 100 ft. Their distribution is strongly influenced by the environmental preferences of the coral animals.
Atlantic Region
The coral reefs in the Atlantic amount to only 1/20th of the number to be found in the Indo-Pacific waters; they are not only cover a smaller area, but also show less diversity; not a single coral species is common to both of these parts of the world. The Atlantic coral reefs are mainly located in the region around the Bermudas and the Caribbean. There exist a few coral complexes off the coasts of Brazil and West Africa, but these colonies are sparsely populated by only a small number of species. The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world's coral reefs covering about 20,000 square miles (52,000 km2), most of which are located off the Caribbean Islands and the Central American coast. The main area of distribution for Caribbean coral reefs (formally known as the "tropical western Atlantic" or "Greater Caribbean") extends north to south from Bermuda to Brazil, and includes south Florida, The Bahamas, the Caribbean Sea proper, and the east coasts and offshore islands of Central America and northern South America. Caribbean coral reefs are mostly confined to this particular area by formidable ecological boundaries. To the south, reef development is limited by the discharge of silt-laden, fresh water from the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. To the west and southeast beyond the Antilles lay over a thousand miles of deep tropical seas with no shallow water habitat. North of The Bahamas, the cold, deep waters of the North Atlantic preclude successful colonization tropical species. Puerto Rico possesses exceptional and beautiful coral reefs. With a linear coastline of 620 km, it is surrounded by over 5,000 km2 of easily accessible (< 20 m depth) coral reef ecosystems. [Spalding 2004].
Indian Ocean region
A number of islands dot the Indian Ocean, creating tropical shallow-water conditions conducive for coral reef growth. Island archipelagos of the Indian Ocean include the Comoros, Seychelles, Mascarene, Lakshadweep (Laccadive) and Maldives, Chagos, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands. Coral reefs have developed on these island chains.
Pacific Ocean Region
The greatest number of islands in the world are found in the tropical western and central Pacific. These are included in the modern nations or territories of Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Belau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, and French Polynesia. The western and central Pacific Ocean is the region of the highest marine biodiversity. It can be divided into three sub-regions based on cultural geography as well as geology: Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. The three points of the Polynesian triangle are Hawaii in the north, Easter Island in the southeast, and New Zealand in the southwest. Polynesia originally inhabited by people migrating from southeast Asia. Most of Polynesia is made up of widely dispersed larger volcanic islands. Micronesia, on the other hand, is situated between the Mariana Trench in the west and the Line Islands in the east. " This region is composed of thousands of small islands, mostly atolls, of the central Pacific. Melanesia is a vast region of volcanic islands including New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia. Geologically, the western Pacific is composed of a complex mosaic of tectonic plates, principally the Pacific, Eurasian, and Australian Plates.
Australia
The Australian region includes the most famous of all reefs- The Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organic collective visible from Earth's orbit. The Great Barrier Reef, off the east coast of Australia, is one of the wonders of the natural world - it is the world's largest coral reef ecosystem. It was declared a World Heritage area in 1981 and added to the National Heritage List in 2007. The reef is scattered with beautiful islands and idyllic coral cays and covers more than 300,000 square kilometres. The Great Barrier Reef system consists of more than 3000 reefs which range in size from 1 hectare to over 10,000 hectares in area. Dunk Island is one of more than 600 islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
Coral Reefs are found throughout tropical and subtropical oceans in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic, normally between the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer (30ºS, 30ºN latitude). However, they also occur outside this range where warm water currents travel outside this band, as is the case where the Gulf Stream Current brings warm tropical water from the Caribbean north to the islands of Bermuda.
Global Distribution
Coral Reefs are estimated to cover only 0.1% of the Earth’s surface, about 235,000 sq miles, and are within depths less than 100 ft. Their distribution is strongly influenced by the environmental preferences of the coral animals.
Atlantic Region
The coral reefs in the Atlantic amount to only 1/20th of the number to be found in the Indo-Pacific waters; they are not only cover a smaller area, but also show less diversity; not a single coral species is common to both of these parts of the world. The Atlantic coral reefs are mainly located in the region around the Bermudas and the Caribbean. There exist a few coral complexes off the coasts of Brazil and West Africa, but these colonies are sparsely populated by only a small number of species. The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world's coral reefs covering about 20,000 square miles (52,000 km2), most of which are located off the Caribbean Islands and the Central American coast. The main area of distribution for Caribbean coral reefs (formally known as the "tropical western Atlantic" or "Greater Caribbean") extends north to south from Bermuda to Brazil, and includes south Florida, The Bahamas, the Caribbean Sea proper, and the east coasts and offshore islands of Central America and northern South America. Caribbean coral reefs are mostly confined to this particular area by formidable ecological boundaries. To the south, reef development is limited by the discharge of silt-laden, fresh water from the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. To the west and southeast beyond the Antilles lay over a thousand miles of deep tropical seas with no shallow water habitat. North of The Bahamas, the cold, deep waters of the North Atlantic preclude successful colonization tropical species. Puerto Rico possesses exceptional and beautiful coral reefs. With a linear coastline of 620 km, it is surrounded by over 5,000 km2 of easily accessible (< 20 m depth) coral reef ecosystems. [Spalding 2004].
Indian Ocean region
A number of islands dot the Indian Ocean, creating tropical shallow-water conditions conducive for coral reef growth. Island archipelagos of the Indian Ocean include the Comoros, Seychelles, Mascarene, Lakshadweep (Laccadive) and Maldives, Chagos, Andaman, and Nicobar Islands. Coral reefs have developed on these island chains.
Pacific Ocean Region
The greatest number of islands in the world are found in the tropical western and central Pacific. These are included in the modern nations or territories of Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Belau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, and French Polynesia. The western and central Pacific Ocean is the region of the highest marine biodiversity. It can be divided into three sub-regions based on cultural geography as well as geology: Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. The three points of the Polynesian triangle are Hawaii in the north, Easter Island in the southeast, and New Zealand in the southwest. Polynesia originally inhabited by people migrating from southeast Asia. Most of Polynesia is made up of widely dispersed larger volcanic islands. Micronesia, on the other hand, is situated between the Mariana Trench in the west and the Line Islands in the east. " This region is composed of thousands of small islands, mostly atolls, of the central Pacific. Melanesia is a vast region of volcanic islands including New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia. Geologically, the western Pacific is composed of a complex mosaic of tectonic plates, principally the Pacific, Eurasian, and Australian Plates.
Australia
The Australian region includes the most famous of all reefs- The Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the only living organic collective visible from Earth's orbit. The Great Barrier Reef, off the east coast of Australia, is one of the wonders of the natural world - it is the world's largest coral reef ecosystem. It was declared a World Heritage area in 1981 and added to the National Heritage List in 2007. The reef is scattered with beautiful islands and idyllic coral cays and covers more than 300,000 square kilometres. The Great Barrier Reef system consists of more than 3000 reefs which range in size from 1 hectare to over 10,000 hectares in area. Dunk Island is one of more than 600 islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
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