User talk:CptKelp

Temperate Reef
Temperate reefs are hard-surface marine ecosystems found in cool waters between the tropics and the poles. Temperate reef ecosystems are diverse, spanning lichen-encrusted boulders in the intertidal zone to sponge gardens on rocky outcrops in the deep oceans. They comprise extensive rocky shorelines, small boulder islands in soft-sediment habitats, and biogenic surfaces such as consolidated piles of oyster shells and man-made structures including groynes and pylons.

In contrast to relatively uniform soft sediment habitats, reefs are spatially heterogeneous systems. Their irregular hard substrate provides a variety of microhabitats that are used by a diverse set of marine species with a range of life histories. Hard substrate can also support habitat forming species, which create biogenic structure that further increases the production and diversity of temperate reefs. Temperate reefs are some of the most productive marine ecosystems on the planet, and they support valuable fisheries and other ecosystem services. One example of a temperate reef ecosystem is Australia’s Great Southern Reef, dominated by kelp forests.