A mesophotic coral ecosystem is a tropical or subtropical reef community living in dim, middle-depth water where some sunlight still reaches the seafloor. It typically begins around 30 meters deep and can extend beyond 150 meters, depending on water clarity. Light-dependent corals, algae, sponges and fishes form the community. NOAA’s mesophotic reef overview places these…
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An artificial reef is a human-made structure underwater that provides hard surface and physical relief used by marine organisms. It may be placed specifically for habitat, diving, shoreline protection, or fisheries management. Shipwrecks and offshore platforms can also function as reefs even when reef creation was not their original purpose. NOAA’s artificial reef overview lists…
An archipelago is a chain, cluster, or broad group of islands. Its islands may rise from the ocean, sit in a lake, or divide a large river. Some archipelagos form one country, while others cross political borders. Geology explains why the islands occur together; maps and human history often determine which name people give the…
An anchialine pool is a landlocked coastal pond with a hidden connection to the sea. Fresh groundwater enters from the land while seawater moves through porous rock or cave passages below ground. The result is usually a small body of brackish water whose level may rise and fall with distant ocean tides, even though no…
