Definition: The Class Reef includes ridge-like or mound-like structures formed by the colonization and growth of sedentary invertebrates. Water Regimes are restricted to Subtidal, Irregularly Exposed, and Regularly Flooded 


Description: Reefs are characterized by their elevation above the surrounding substrate and their interference with normal wave flow; they are primarily subtidal, but parts of some reefs may be intertidal as well. Although corals, oysters, and tube worms are the most visible organisms and are mainly responsible for reef formation, other mollusks, foraminifera, coralline algae, and other forms of life also contribute substantially to reef growth. Frequently, reefs contain far more dead skeletal material and shell fragments than living matter. 


Subclasses and Dominance Types: 


  • Coral - Coral Reefs are widely distributed in shallow waters of warm seas, in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and southern Florida. They were characterized by Odum (1971) as stable, well-adapted, highly diverse, and highly productive ecosystems with a great degree of internal symbiosis. Coral Reefs lie almost entirely within the Subtidal Subsystem of the Marine System, although the upper part of certain Reefs may be Intertidal. Examples of Dominance Types are the corals Porites, Acropora, and Montipora. The distribution of these types reflects primarily their elevation, wave exposure, the age of the Reef, and its exposure to waves. 


  • Mollusk -  This Subclass occurs in both the Intertidal and Subtidal Subsystems of the Estuarine System. These Reefs are found on the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf Coasts and in Hawaii and the Caribbean. Mollusk Reefs may become extensive, affording a substrate for sedentary and boring organisms and a shelter for many others. Reef mollusks are adapted to great variations in water level, salinity, and temperature, and these same factors control their distribution. Examples of Dominance Types for this Subclass are the oysters Ostrea and Crassostrea (Smith 1964; Abbott 1968; Ricketts and Calvin 1968). 


  • Worm - Worm Reefs are constructed by large colonies of Sabellariid worms living in individual tubes constructed from cemented sand grains. Although they do not support as diverse a biota as do Coral and Mollusk Reefs, they provide a distinct habitat which may cover large areas. Worm Reefs are generally confined to tropical waters, and are most common along the coasts of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. They occur in both the Intertidal and Subtidal Systems of the Marine and Estuarine Systems where the salinity approximates that of sea water. The reef worm Sabellaria is an example of a Dominance Type for this Subclass (Ricketts and Calvin 1968).

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