Sandworm
02-02-2004, 03:20 PM
The following is a list of useful reef terminology that may help broaden your knowledge in this hobby. Some of it will only apply to an actual ocean reef, others can apply to a home reef aquarium. All of it is informative.
Ahermatypic - non reef-building coral
Algal reef - a reef , usually exposed to wave action, composed of coralline algae and vermatid gastropods. They occur in forms of cups or funnels.
Algal ridge - a low ridge at the seaward margin of a reef flat, largely composed of skeletons of calcareous algae.
Almost Atoll - an atoll whose rim is less than 75 per cent complete as a circle at low tide.
Anthozoa - a class of Cnidaria that includes the stony corals, soft corals, sea anemones, gorgonians and corallimorpharians
Apron Reef - the initial stages of a fringing reef. It is discontinuous and covers a small area.
Atoll - a horseshoe or circular array of islands, capping a coral reef system perched around an oceanic volcanic seamount
Back reef - shoreward side of reef, including the area and sediments between the reefcrest/algal ridge and the land. It corresponds to the reef flat and lagoon of a barrier reefs and platform margin reef systems.
Bank reef - large reef growths, generally having irregular shape, which develop over submerged highs of tectonic or other origin and are surrounded by deeper waters.
Bar - an elongate submarine shoal.
Barren zone - the region of a coral reef seaward of the lower palmata zone and just landward of the buttress or mixed zone.
Barrier reef - a long, narrow coral reef, roughly parallel to the shore and separated from it by a lagoon of considerable depth and width. It may lie a great distance from a continental coast. It is often interrupted by passes or channels.
Benthic - bottom dwelling; living on or under the sediments or other substratum.
Bleaching - the process when a coral polyp expels it's symbiotic zooxanthellae from it's body.
Boring sponges - boring sponges chemically digest the limestone skeletons of corals during their search for food and living space..This breaks down the structure of the reef.
Bosses - columnar, flat-topped coral-algal growth or erosion structure usually found on the upper surfaces of spurs and buttresses.
Calcareous - made of calcium carbonate
Calcite - a mineral made up of a crystalline form of calcium carbonate.
Cay - a small, low coastal island or emergent reef of sand or coral; flat mound of sand and admixed coral fragments built upon a reef flat or just above high tide level.
Cnidocyte - stinging cells of jellyfish, hydroids, sea anemones and corals.
Coastal reef - a coral reef occurring near and parallel to a coastline.
Coelobite - an organism that lives in the pores and spaces within a reef.
Commensal - having benefit for one member of a two-species association but neither positive nor negative effect on the other.
Coral - a general term used to describe a group of cnidarians; indicates the presence of skeletal material that is embedded in the living tissue or encloses the animal altogether.
Coral assemblage - a group of corals
Coral reef - a wave-resistant structure resulting from cementation processes and the skeletal construction of hermatypic corals, calcareous algae, and other calcium carbonate-secreting organisms.
Corraline algae - heavily calcified, encrusting algae.
Corallite - a coral cup.
Corallivore - an organism that eats coral.
Corallum - a complete coral colony; a coral head.
Deep fore reef - the deepest part of a coral reef; a vertical cliff beginning at a depth of about 60 m.
Echinoplutei - a larval form of echinoderms.
Endosymbiotic - Being symbiotic and living within the body of an individual of the associated species.
Endozooic - living inside an animal.
Epibenthic (epifaunal or epifloral) - living on the surface of the bottom.
Epibiont - an organism that lives on the outside of another organism.
Epidemic spawning - simultaneous shedding of gametes by a large number of individuals.
Epiphyte - microalgal organism living on a surface (e.g., on a seaweed frond); a plant living on the surface of another plant.
Epizoite - an animal that lives on the surface of another organism.
Foliose coral - a coral whose skeletal form approximates that of a broad, flattened plate.
Fore reef escarpment -a slope or cliff seaward of the fore reef terrace, at a depth of about 25 -30 m.
Fore reef slope - a sand covered, gradual or sharply descending slope; the next-to-deepest part of the fore reef.
Fore reef terrace - the uppermost portion of the fore reef ; a flat plain beginning at the base of the buttress or mixed zone, at a depth of about 60 m.
Fringing reef - a shelf reef that grows close to shore. Some develop around oceanic islands.
Gorgonians - anthozoans of the subclass Octocorallia, commonly called sea fans and whips.
Habitat - place or environment where a particular species live.
Hermatypic - reef-building coral
Lagoon - a warm, shallow, quiet waterway separated from the open sea by a reef crest.
Lagoon slope - back reef on a barrier or atoll reef.
Leeward - the side of an island or reef that faces away from the prevailing wind.
Lower palmata zone - the part of a reef crest that is seaward of the palmata zone; consists primarily of elkhorn coral at a depth of about 3-6 m.
Macrobenthos (macrofauna or macroflora) - benthic organisms (animals or plants) whose shortest dimension is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm
Mangel - a shoreline ecosystem dominated by mangrove trees, with associated mud flats
Medusa - the free swimming stage of some corals, jellyfish, anemones, hydroids and comb jellies, shaped like a bell or umbrella and swims by pulsations of the body.
Meiobenthos (meiofauna or meioflora) - benthic organisms whose shortest dimension is less than 0.5 mm but greater than or equal to 0.1 mm.
Microbenthos (microfauna or microflora) - benthic organisms whose shortest dimension is less than 0.1 mm.
Microhabitat - a smaller part of a habitat that has some internal interactions allowing it to function self-sufficiently within a generally larger habitat, such as a patch reef in a lagoon.
Mini-atoll - ring-shaped patch reef with a central area (lagoon) containing sand.
Mixed zone - the populous region of most bank/barrier reefs seaward of the lower palmata zone; begins at a depth of 6-8 m.
Mutualism - an interaction between two species in which both derive some benefit.
Nematocysts - specialized cell for stinging in cnidarians.
Oceanic - associated with sea-water environments seaward of the shelf- slope break
Oceanic reef - one that develops adjacent to deeper waters, often in association with oceanic islands.
Oolitic limestone - rock composed primarily of petrified corals or the skeletons of other calcareous animals.
Palmata zone - the region of a reef crest of a bank or barrier reef that is closest to the water surface; composed almost completely of elkhorn coral.
Patch reef - a coral boulder or clump of corals unattached to a major reef structure.
Photic zone - the vertical zone in the ocean extending from the surface to that depth permitting photosynthetic activity.
Planula - a planktonic larval form produced by some anthozoans.
Platform reef - a large reef of variable shape lacking a lagoon, seaward of a fringing reef and or a barrier reef, for which the width is more than half its length.
Polyp - an individual of a solitary cnidarian or one member of a cnidarian colony.
Reef crest - sharp break in slope at seaward margin or edge of reef flat
Reef slope - portion of reef seaward of reef crest.
Reef top - the area comprising the reef flat and reef crest.
Reef system - a cluster of reefs.
Ribbon reef - large offshore linear reef, seaward of a fringing reef, which is linear but does not form a barrier to the land.
Scleractinia - order of Cnidaria, usually producing calcareous skeletons with hexameral symmetry.
Sessile - immobile because of an attachment to a substratum.
Shelf reef - forms on the continental shelf of large land masses.
Shoal - a submerged expanse of coral reef, surrounded by deep water, which does not form a part of a barrier or fringing reef..
Siliceous - composed of silicon or primarily of silicon.
Species richness - the number of species in an area or biological collection.
Suspension feeder - An organism that feeds by capturing particles suspended in the water column.
Tentacle-tube-foot suspension feeder - suspension feeder that traps particles on distinct tentacles or tube feet (in echinoderms).
Windward - the side of an island or reef that faces the prevailing wind.
Zooxanthellae - a group of dinoflagellates living endosymbiotically in association with one of a variety of invertebrate groups (e.g., corals).
*These terms were selected from several sources, primarily ReefBase 2.0
Ahermatypic - non reef-building coral
Algal reef - a reef , usually exposed to wave action, composed of coralline algae and vermatid gastropods. They occur in forms of cups or funnels.
Algal ridge - a low ridge at the seaward margin of a reef flat, largely composed of skeletons of calcareous algae.
Almost Atoll - an atoll whose rim is less than 75 per cent complete as a circle at low tide.
Anthozoa - a class of Cnidaria that includes the stony corals, soft corals, sea anemones, gorgonians and corallimorpharians
Apron Reef - the initial stages of a fringing reef. It is discontinuous and covers a small area.
Atoll - a horseshoe or circular array of islands, capping a coral reef system perched around an oceanic volcanic seamount
Back reef - shoreward side of reef, including the area and sediments between the reefcrest/algal ridge and the land. It corresponds to the reef flat and lagoon of a barrier reefs and platform margin reef systems.
Bank reef - large reef growths, generally having irregular shape, which develop over submerged highs of tectonic or other origin and are surrounded by deeper waters.
Bar - an elongate submarine shoal.
Barren zone - the region of a coral reef seaward of the lower palmata zone and just landward of the buttress or mixed zone.
Barrier reef - a long, narrow coral reef, roughly parallel to the shore and separated from it by a lagoon of considerable depth and width. It may lie a great distance from a continental coast. It is often interrupted by passes or channels.
Benthic - bottom dwelling; living on or under the sediments or other substratum.
Bleaching - the process when a coral polyp expels it's symbiotic zooxanthellae from it's body.
Boring sponges - boring sponges chemically digest the limestone skeletons of corals during their search for food and living space..This breaks down the structure of the reef.
Bosses - columnar, flat-topped coral-algal growth or erosion structure usually found on the upper surfaces of spurs and buttresses.
Calcareous - made of calcium carbonate
Calcite - a mineral made up of a crystalline form of calcium carbonate.
Cay - a small, low coastal island or emergent reef of sand or coral; flat mound of sand and admixed coral fragments built upon a reef flat or just above high tide level.
Cnidocyte - stinging cells of jellyfish, hydroids, sea anemones and corals.
Coastal reef - a coral reef occurring near and parallel to a coastline.
Coelobite - an organism that lives in the pores and spaces within a reef.
Commensal - having benefit for one member of a two-species association but neither positive nor negative effect on the other.
Coral - a general term used to describe a group of cnidarians; indicates the presence of skeletal material that is embedded in the living tissue or encloses the animal altogether.
Coral assemblage - a group of corals
Coral reef - a wave-resistant structure resulting from cementation processes and the skeletal construction of hermatypic corals, calcareous algae, and other calcium carbonate-secreting organisms.
Corraline algae - heavily calcified, encrusting algae.
Corallite - a coral cup.
Corallivore - an organism that eats coral.
Corallum - a complete coral colony; a coral head.
Deep fore reef - the deepest part of a coral reef; a vertical cliff beginning at a depth of about 60 m.
Echinoplutei - a larval form of echinoderms.
Endosymbiotic - Being symbiotic and living within the body of an individual of the associated species.
Endozooic - living inside an animal.
Epibenthic (epifaunal or epifloral) - living on the surface of the bottom.
Epibiont - an organism that lives on the outside of another organism.
Epidemic spawning - simultaneous shedding of gametes by a large number of individuals.
Epiphyte - microalgal organism living on a surface (e.g., on a seaweed frond); a plant living on the surface of another plant.
Epizoite - an animal that lives on the surface of another organism.
Foliose coral - a coral whose skeletal form approximates that of a broad, flattened plate.
Fore reef escarpment -a slope or cliff seaward of the fore reef terrace, at a depth of about 25 -30 m.
Fore reef slope - a sand covered, gradual or sharply descending slope; the next-to-deepest part of the fore reef.
Fore reef terrace - the uppermost portion of the fore reef ; a flat plain beginning at the base of the buttress or mixed zone, at a depth of about 60 m.
Fringing reef - a shelf reef that grows close to shore. Some develop around oceanic islands.
Gorgonians - anthozoans of the subclass Octocorallia, commonly called sea fans and whips.
Habitat - place or environment where a particular species live.
Hermatypic - reef-building coral
Lagoon - a warm, shallow, quiet waterway separated from the open sea by a reef crest.
Lagoon slope - back reef on a barrier or atoll reef.
Leeward - the side of an island or reef that faces away from the prevailing wind.
Lower palmata zone - the part of a reef crest that is seaward of the palmata zone; consists primarily of elkhorn coral at a depth of about 3-6 m.
Macrobenthos (macrofauna or macroflora) - benthic organisms (animals or plants) whose shortest dimension is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm
Mangel - a shoreline ecosystem dominated by mangrove trees, with associated mud flats
Medusa - the free swimming stage of some corals, jellyfish, anemones, hydroids and comb jellies, shaped like a bell or umbrella and swims by pulsations of the body.
Meiobenthos (meiofauna or meioflora) - benthic organisms whose shortest dimension is less than 0.5 mm but greater than or equal to 0.1 mm.
Microbenthos (microfauna or microflora) - benthic organisms whose shortest dimension is less than 0.1 mm.
Microhabitat - a smaller part of a habitat that has some internal interactions allowing it to function self-sufficiently within a generally larger habitat, such as a patch reef in a lagoon.
Mini-atoll - ring-shaped patch reef with a central area (lagoon) containing sand.
Mixed zone - the populous region of most bank/barrier reefs seaward of the lower palmata zone; begins at a depth of 6-8 m.
Mutualism - an interaction between two species in which both derive some benefit.
Nematocysts - specialized cell for stinging in cnidarians.
Oceanic - associated with sea-water environments seaward of the shelf- slope break
Oceanic reef - one that develops adjacent to deeper waters, often in association with oceanic islands.
Oolitic limestone - rock composed primarily of petrified corals or the skeletons of other calcareous animals.
Palmata zone - the region of a reef crest of a bank or barrier reef that is closest to the water surface; composed almost completely of elkhorn coral.
Patch reef - a coral boulder or clump of corals unattached to a major reef structure.
Photic zone - the vertical zone in the ocean extending from the surface to that depth permitting photosynthetic activity.
Planula - a planktonic larval form produced by some anthozoans.
Platform reef - a large reef of variable shape lacking a lagoon, seaward of a fringing reef and or a barrier reef, for which the width is more than half its length.
Polyp - an individual of a solitary cnidarian or one member of a cnidarian colony.
Reef crest - sharp break in slope at seaward margin or edge of reef flat
Reef slope - portion of reef seaward of reef crest.
Reef top - the area comprising the reef flat and reef crest.
Reef system - a cluster of reefs.
Ribbon reef - large offshore linear reef, seaward of a fringing reef, which is linear but does not form a barrier to the land.
Scleractinia - order of Cnidaria, usually producing calcareous skeletons with hexameral symmetry.
Sessile - immobile because of an attachment to a substratum.
Shelf reef - forms on the continental shelf of large land masses.
Shoal - a submerged expanse of coral reef, surrounded by deep water, which does not form a part of a barrier or fringing reef..
Siliceous - composed of silicon or primarily of silicon.
Species richness - the number of species in an area or biological collection.
Suspension feeder - An organism that feeds by capturing particles suspended in the water column.
Tentacle-tube-foot suspension feeder - suspension feeder that traps particles on distinct tentacles or tube feet (in echinoderms).
Windward - the side of an island or reef that faces the prevailing wind.
Zooxanthellae - a group of dinoflagellates living endosymbiotically in association with one of a variety of invertebrate groups (e.g., corals).
*These terms were selected from several sources, primarily ReefBase 2.0