Name
image
Location
Coordinates
Notes
Red Sea to Madagascar
0°03′05″S 50°50′46″E / 0.051377°S 50.846055°E / -0.051377; 50.846055
Amazon Reef
Off the coast of French Guiana and northern Brazil
1°N 49°W / 1°N 49°W / 1; -49 The Amazon Reef (also referred to as the Amazonian Reef) is an extensive coral and sponge reef system, located off the coast of French Guiana and northern Brazil. It is one of the largest reef systems in the world known to exist, with scientists estimating its length to be over 600 miles (970 km) long, and covering over 3,600 square miles (9,300 km2) of area.[1]
Angria Bank
Off the coast of Vijaydurg , Maharashtra, India
16°26′N 72°02′E / 16.43°N 72.03°E / 16.43; 72.03
Apo Reef
Mindoro Strait , Philippines
12°39′42″N 120°24′52″E / 12.66167°N 120.4144°E / 12.66167; 120.4144 This is the Philippines' largest reef and the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system.
Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park
Cozumel , Mexico
20°10′25″N 87°00′46″W / 20.1737°N 87.0129°W / 20.1737; -87.0129 Part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
Bar Reef
Kalpitiya peninsula, Sri Lanka
8°13′48″N 79°26′24″E / 8.2300°N 79.4400°E / 8.2300; 79.4400 This coral reef has more biodiversity than in any of the waters of India. It is one of only a few pristine systems in Sri Lanka.
Belize Barrier Reef
Belize
17°11′08″N 87°19′26″W / 17.1856°N 87.324°W / 17.1856; -87.324 This is the second biggest coral reef system on Earth, the largest being the Great Barrier Reef . It is approximately one third the size of the 900km long Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System .
Benares Shoals
Peros Banhos atoll, northern Chagos Archipelago
5°09′S 71°24′E / 5.15°S 071.40°E / -5.15; 071.40
Coral Triangle
Mainly Indonesia
3°58′13″N 134°49′10″E / 3.970166°N 134.819424°E / 3.970166; 134.819424 Called the "Amazon of the seas", this is a large area defined within a triangular area in the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.
Daintree Reef
Coral Sea , Queensland, Australia
16°01′58″S 145°26′06″E / 16.032856°S 145.434958°E / -16.032856; 145.434958 Named after geologist and photographer Richard Daintree , this system is adjacent to the Daintree Rainforest .
Darwin Mounds
Off the northwest coast of Scotland
59°27′N 7°08′W / 59.45°N 7.13°W / 59.45; -7.13 Located around 1,000 m (3,280 feet) below the surface, this system consists of a big field of sand mounds.
Filippo Reef
450 km east of Starbuck Island in the Pacific Ocean
5°18′S 151°30′W / 05.30°S 151.50°W / -05.30; -151.50
Flinders Reef
Off Moreton Island in the Coral Sea , Queensland, Australia
26°59′18″S 153°26′31.4″E / 26.98833°S 153.442056°E / -26.98833; 153.442056
French Frigate Shoals
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
23°26′44″N 166°50′46″W / 23.4456°N 166.846°W / 23.4456; -166.846 This is a 32-km-long, crescent-shaped reef maintained by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a field station within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument .
Great Barrier Reef
Coral Sea , Queensland, Australia[2] 18°10′16″S 147°25′12″E / 18.1710°S 147.4200°E / -18.1710; 147.4200 The largest in the world
Isla Pérez
Gulf of Mexico
22°14′02″N 89°25′12″W / 22.2340°N 89.4200°W / 22.2340; -89.4200
Kingman Reef
North Pacific Ocean
6°14′N 162°15′W / 6.23°N 162.25°W / 6.23; -162.25 Roughly triangular in shape
Lansdowne Bank
Coral Sea
20°21′S 160°18′E / 20.35°S 160.30°E / -20.35; 160.30 This is one of the biggest banks on Earth.
Lyra Reef
Papua New Guinea
1°27′S 153°12′E / 1.45°S 153.20°E / -1.45; 153.20
Manuel Luis Reefs
Brazil
0°54′48″S 44°19′10″W / 0.913302°S 44.319530°W / -0.913302; -44.319530 The largest coral reef of South America.[3]
Maro Reef
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
25°24′54″N 170°35′24″W / 25.415°N 170.590°W / 25.415; -170.590 This reef is named after the ship Maro , captained by who discovered the reef in 1820.
Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
From the Yucatán Peninsula to Honduras
18°20′38″N 87°25′18″W / 18.343938°N 87.421764°W / 18.343938; -87.421764 Also known as the Great Mayan Reef or Great Maya Reef, this is a World Heritage Site .
Mexico Rocks
Ambergris Caye , Belize
18°03′01″N 87°33′19″W / 18.05021°N 87.555174°W / 18.05021; -87.555174 This area consists mainly of boulder corals and comprises about 100 Holocene patch reefs in a cluster on a ridge made of Pleistocene limestone.
Miami Terrace Reef
Florida , United States
25°27′N 79°33′W / 25.45°N 79.55°W / 25.45; -79.55 This is a deep reef system that lies at 200 to 600 meters below sea level.
Minami-Tori-shima
Japan
24°10′16″N 153°35′06″E / 24.1712°N 153.5850°E / 24.1712; 153.5850
Minerva Reefs
Fiji and Tonga
23°23′S 178°32′W / 23.38°S 178.54°W / -23.38; -178.54
Miri-Sibuti Coral Reef National Park
Sarawak , Malaysia
4°11′N 113°31′E / 4.19°N 113.51°E / 4.19; 113.51 This is a protected area and popular dive site.
New Caledonia Barrier Reef
New Caledonia
20°14′39″S 164°20′09″E / 20.2443°S 164.3359°E / -20.2443; 164.3359 This is a double-barrier coral reef, and the second-longest on Earth, the longest being the Belize Barrier Reef .
Ningaloo Coast
Western Australia
22°20′04″S 113°29′01″E / 22.3345°S 113.4837°E / -22.3345; 113.4837 A World Heritage Site , this reef is noted for whale sharks.
North East Reef
Western Australia
28°15′05″S 113°29′03″E / 28.2513°S 113.4841°E / -28.2513; 113.4841
Osprey Reef
Coral Sea , Australia
13°54′29″S 146°36′55″E / 13.90806°S 146.61528°E / -13.90806; 146.61528
Palancar Reef
Cozumel , Mexico
20°17′48″N 87°01′06″W / 20.296685°N 87.018439°W / 20.296685; -87.018439 A popular diving location, this is part of the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park .
Qixingyan (Taiwan)
Pingtung County , Taiwan
21°27′12″N 120°29′34″E / 21.453198°N 120.492894°E / 21.453198; 120.492894 This is a shallow system with parts being visible at low tide. Many shipwrecks have occurred here.
Reunion Island's coral reef
Réunion
21°05′06″S 55��13′17″E / 21.0851°S 55.2214°E / -21.0851; 55.2214 Threatened in recent times by an increase in human exploitation as well as pollution
Røst Reef
Lofoten , Norway
67°29′02″N 12°01′08″E / 67.483951°N 12.018849°E / 67.483951; 12.018849 This is the largest Lophelia
Scorpion Reef
Yucatán , Mexico
22°13′33″N 89°24′21″W / 22.2258°N 89.40578°W / 22.2258; -89.40578 This reef is part of the Campeche Bank archipeligo.
Sha`b Abu Nuhas
Northern Red Sea
27°34′01″N 33°55′01″E / 27.567°N 33.917°E / 27.567; 33.917 Considered a hazard to ships, this is a popular diving site.
South Sentinel Island
Andaman Islands
10°35′02″N 92°07′54″E / 10.5840°N 92.1318°E / 10.5840; 92.1318
Sula Reef
Sør-Trøndelag , Norway
This reef is composed of Lophelia pertusa
Tubbataha Reef
Sulu Sea , Philippines
8°33′N 119°33′E / 8.55°N 119.55°E / 8.55; 119.55 This reef system contains a very high density of different species and is designated a World Heritage Site . Tubbataha reef is the world's richest and most pristine reef.
Virgin Islands
Caribbean Sea
18°00′N 65°00′W / 18.0°N 65.0°W / 18.0; -65.0 Scleractinian corals , Millepora .
