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Phylum Cnidaria
A phylum of invertebrates that includes jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones.
Class Anthozoa
A class within Phylum Cnidaria that includes anemones, corals, and their relatives.
Subclass Zoantharia (Hexacorallia)
A subclass of Anthozoa that includes stony corals and anemones.
Order Scleractinia
An order within Zoantharia that consists of stony corals.
Calcareous skeleton
A hard, calcium carbonate structure found in scleractinian corals.
Coenosarc
The sheet of tissue that connects adjacent polyps in colonial corals.
Balanophyllia
A solitary cup coral that is the only intertidal scleractinian along the U.S. west coast.
Zooxanthellae
Dinoflagellates that live symbiotically with corals, providing them with nutrients.
Coral reef
A marine ecosystem made up of colonies of corals, typically found in tropical and subtropical oceans.
Hermatypic corals
Reef-building corals that require light for the symbiotic zooxanthellae.
Fringing reefs
Coral reefs that are directly attached to the shoreline and are close to land.
Barrier reefs
Coral reefs that are separated from the shore by deep lagoons.
Atolls
Ring-shaped coral reefs surrounding a lagoon, often formed from ancient volcanic islands.
Coral bleaching
A phenomenon where corals expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae, leading to a loss of color and essential nutrients.
Climate change
Long-term alterations in temperature and weather patterns, threatening coral reefs.
Sedimentation
The accumulation of sediments, which can smother corals and disrupt their feeding.
Subclass Alcyonaria (Octocorallia)
A subclass of Anthozoa that comprises soft corals, including gorgonians.
Gorgonian corals
A type of soft coral characterized by a branching structure, such as sea fans.
Order Pennatulacea
An order of soft corals, including sea pens and sea pansies.
Renilla
A sea pansy, a type of colonial Pennatulacean coral.
Volcanic island
An island formed by volcanic activity from which atolls arise.
Pollutants
Substances that contaminate the environment and can harm coral reefs.
Salinity
The concentration of salts in water, which can impact coral health.
Photosynthetic products
Nutrients produced by zooxanthellae during photosynthesis, essential for coral nutrition.
Deepwater corals
Corals that live in depths where light is insufficient for photosynthesis.
Intense competition for space
The struggle among corals and other organisms for limited space on reef structures.
Coral colony
A group of genetically identical polyps that function together as a single organism.
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