Coral reefs like warm and sunny waters, so they are mainly distributed in the tropical ocean of the Tropic of Cancer. In China, coral reefs are mainly distributed in the South China Sea. Coral reefs in the South China Sea are colorful, and they are homes and shelters for many marine life. The South China Sea in China has not only beautiful coral reefs, but also rich marine biological resources. These coral reefs and marine life have built a complex and stable ecosystem, which has brought great benefits to human beings and nature.
Coral reefs in the South China Sea are also one of the important tourist resources in China, attracting many tourists to watch. Here, people can enjoy all kinds of colorful corals and marine life and feel the magic and charm of nature.
In a word, coral reefs in China are mainly distributed in the South China Sea, which is an important habitat and tourist attraction for marine life. I hope we can cherish and protect these precious natural resources and let them continue to bring a bright future to mankind and nature.
Morphological characteristics of coral reefs
Coral is a coelenterate in the ocean, which can absorb calcium and carbon dioxide in seawater during its growth, and then secrete limestone to become its own living shell. Each coral is only the size of a grain of rice. They live in groups, metabolize, grow and reproduce from generation to generation, and secrete limestone and stick together. These limestones are compacted and petrified to form islands and reefs, which are called coral reefs.
In tropical and subtropical shallow seas, the submarine uplift with wave resistance consists of reef-building coral skeleton and biological debris. Reef-building corals can secrete calcium carbonate to form exoskeletons. They grow alternately from generation to generation and finally grow to the low tide line. For the reefs in geological period, there were many reef-building organisms before Middle Triassic. After the Middle Triassic, it was basically a coral reef, so it was collectively called a biological reef. Biological reefs in geological period are carbonate rocks rich in reef-building fossils, also known as paleontological reefs, and their vertical range is larger than that of contemporary biological reefs.
Coral began to reproduce in the early Paleozoic and has continued to this day, which can be used as an important symbol for dividing strata and judging paleoclimate and paleogeography. Coral reefs are related to crustal movement. In general, coral reefs are formed in the sea area 50 meters below the low tide line, and those above the sea surface are the reflection of crustal rise or sea level decline; On the other hand, it marks the subsidence of the crust there.
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