Concept in Definition ABC

We understand by coral to organisms sea ​​of ​​deep beauty, unique shapes and impressive colors found in tropical aquatic environments, especially in the oceans. The complexity and the diversity of corals makes these beings become one of the elements most sought after by tourists and divers. Although they can acquire sizes of great importance, in reality, the coral is only a small animal (non-vegetable) that reaches only a few millimeters in diameter. Millions of corals together make up the known coral banks in certain areas of the planet.

Belonging to the Anthozoa class (in which anemones and other living beings also appear), the coral presents as one of its features main and essential the conjunction of millions of specimens that form large coral structures or coral banks. In this sense, corals are colonial beings and not solitary since they are not found loose in the liquid medium, if not always in important groups of different sizes.

Corals also have the characteristic of absorbing the

material calcareous that is dissolved in the Water, and it is from this element that they take their rigid and hard form when touch. While corals present beautiful and vibrant colors to the human eye, these organisms are actually white and it is the action of the algae that join them that give them the specific coloration that they have in each case.

When the living part of the coral (the polyp) dies, the calcium structure that was formed during the animal's life remains standing, and can later be inhabited by new polyps. These new polyps will form new ones on that structure and so on. Hence, the fabulous coral reefs appear in the oceans and in the tropics that can extend for more than 700 km, as is the case of the Mesoamerican Reef located in Central America.

Themes in Coral