Garie Beach

How is the soil in the Great barrier reef.?

Describe soils in the great barrier reef.

Public Comments

1. what soil?....
2. I would guess that if there is any soil there, it is pretty wet and soggy.
3. Soil usually refers to the broken up rock particles and humus on the surface of the earth. The Great Barrier reef is a marine coral ecosystem, so no real soil. However, there will be a lot of loose carbonate mud from the breakup of coral and other shell debris, and from the grazing of parrotfish and the like. Carbonate mud is like soil, just made up of calcite particles. This is derived from the break up of coralline algae, and faecal pellets of grazing organisms, and the abrasion of debris, and even in living reefs can make up a large proportion of the reef. The carbonate mud will be inhabited by burrowing organisms.