CORAL REEF FACTS

A coral reef   is a natural barrier made of the bodies of dead and living coral. Which is usually just bellow the surface of the water.

It is made of two parts

White: Is  the dead bodies of zillions and zillions of polyps which have died over hundreds and thousands of years.

Colourful: Is the living part of the coral reef.  It is made up of living polyps.

Size:  Over 2000km (1250 miles) long.

Identifying coral: 

By appearance

• bushy 
• table
• boulder 
• vase 
• branching 
• plate  
• solitary

Animals:

• 6 species of sea turtle

• 400 different types of coral

• 4,00 molluscs 

• 1500 species of fish

• 500 species of seaweed

• 215 species of birds

• 16 species of sea snake

For more information on The Great Barrier Reef go to Great Barrier Reef