M1.3 Photic coral reefs

M1. Marine shelf biome

M1

Profile summary

Full profile at https://global-ecosystems.org/explore/groups/M1.3

Brief description

These slow growing biogenic structures are formed by the calcium carbonate skeletons of certain coral species that depend on symbiotic relationships with algae. They occur in warm, shallow, low-nutrient waters and provide complex three-dimensional habitat for a highly diverse community across all trophic levels, from algae to sharks, along with other characteristic sessile organisms like coralline algae and sponges. Niche habitats produce specialist behaviours and diets, like the symbiotic relationship between clown fish and anemones. Storms and marine heat waves drive cycles of reef destruction and renewal.

Key features

Biogenic reefs formed by hard coral-algal symbionts with phylogentically & functionally diverse biota in clear, warm subtidal waters.

Overview of distribution

Warm tropical & subtropical coastal waters.

Map description

Indicative maps of Photic coral reefs were obtained from Institute for Marine Remote Sensing et al. (2011). Occurrences were converted to 30 arc second spatial resolution..

Map code and version: M1.3.web.orig v1.0. DOI

Version history

Profile versions

  • v2.1 (2022-04-06): BA Polidoro; S Rossi; CRC Sheppard; SN Porter; DA Keith.1
  • v2.01 (NA): NA.
  • v2.0 (2020-05-27): BA Polidoro; S Rossi; CRC Sheppard; SN Porter; DA Keith.
  • v1.0 (2020-01-20): BA Polidoro; DA Keith.

Available maps

Read more details about the current map versions here.

  • Indicative Map (code: M1.3.IM.orig, version v1.0)
  • Web navigation (code: M1.3.web.orig, version v1.0)

Read more details about older or alternative versions of maps for this functional group.

  • Web navigation: in preparation (code: M1.3.WM.nwx, version v1.0)

References

Main references

References used in the different versions of the profiles.

  • Sheppard C, Davy S, Pilling G, Graham N (2018) The biology of coral reefs 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford

Map references

References used in the different versions of the maps (current and discarded).

  • Institute for Marine Remote Sensing, University of South Florida (2011) Global Coral Reefs composite dataset Reefs at Risk Revisited project Compiled from multiple sources, incorporating products from the Millennium Coral Reef Mapping Project prepared by IMaRS/USF and IRD.
  • Li J, Knapp D, Fabina N, Kennedy E, Larsen K, Lyons M, Murray N, Phinn S, Roelfsema C and Asner G (2020) A global coral reef probability map generated using convolutional neural networks. Coral Reefs 39 (6), pp. 1805-1815 DOI:10.1007/s00338-020-02005-6
  • UNEP-WCMC, WorldFish Centre, WRI, TNC (2020) Global distribution of warm-water coral reefs, compiled from multiple sources including the Millennium Coral Reef Mapping Project. Version 4.0. Cambridge (UK): UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Dataset

Footnotes

  1. This is the current version available at official site.↩︎