Wildlife
Reefs have existed since at least the Cambrian, although the familiar coral-dominated, reefs of today are a much later arrival. A coral reef is much more than old rock lying on the sea bed. An intricate structure, complex set of relationships and distinct zones (reef top, reef sides, debris piles around the base) offer myriad places for animals to live and hide, which leads to incredible diversity.
Did you know?
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is larger than the Great Wall of China and is visible from space.
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Regeneration
Constant destruction and regeneration is just part of life for the corals of the reef.
Constant destruction and regeneration is just part of life for the corals of the reef.
Reef record
The Great Barrier Reef is over 2000 km long.
The Great Barrier Reef is over 2000 km long.
Why the shark needs the sponge
A turtle leads Chris to the secret of the coral reef – the sponge.
A turtle leads Chris to the secret of the coral reef – the sponge. These are surely one of the weirdest animals on the planet but thanks to the way that they feed, the reef and everything on it, right up to the sharks, is able to glean enough nutrients from the clear seawater.
Colourless corals
Rising sea temperatures force corals to expel their pigmented algae, causing coral bleaching.
Rising sea temperatures force corals to expel their pigmented algae, causing coral bleaching.
Seaside Specialties
At low tide, David Attenborough explores the nearby coral reefs
The island of Madagascar is surrounded by coral reefs, and at low tide, an intrepid David Attenborough goes exploring. Some of the species are unfamiliar, but others are very similar to the animals found closer to home.
Useful behaviours for this habitat
Ecozones where this habitat is found
Other Marine habitats
Take a trip through the natural world with our themed collections of video clips from the natural history archive.
Timelapse photography: speeding up life
Some of the most memorable sequences in natural history result from timelapse photography, an astonishing filming technique that opens our eyes to a whole new world.
Going, going, gone
One third of known species are under threat - do they have more than a future on film? We've unearthed footage of some remarkable animals, plants and habitats that are facing an imminent threat to their survival.
This is Planet Earth
Narrated by Sir David Attenborough Planet Earth was the ground-breaking series that explored the wild and beautiful parts of our planet like never before.
Seaside spectacular
When it comes to summer holidays, there's no better place than the seaside and if you know where to look you'll be surprised at the wildlife you can find.
The wildlife of Life
In autumn 2009, a major new series brought us life as we've never seen it before.
David Attenborough's Madagascar
Like nowhere else on Earth, the mystery and magic of Madagascar leaves a vivid impression on all those who visit, and none more so than David Attenborough.
Common bottlenose dolphin
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin
Black-banded sea krait
Green sea turtle
Cartilaginous fish
Hammerhead sharks
Lemon shark
Manta ray
Leafy sea dragon
Seahorses and pipefish
Weedy sea dragon
Frogfish
Ray-finned fishes
Gobies
Hermit crabs
Cone snails
Crown-of-thorns starfish
Common jellyfish