Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (750 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Marine ridges composed of living corals, coral skeletons, calcareous algae, and other organisms, mixed with minerals and organic matter. They are found most commonly in tropical waters and support other animal and plant life.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Coral Reef; Reef, Coral; Reefs, Coral.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Ecosystem
- See also
- Anthozoa
Related concepts
- Corals
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 6,336 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Coral Reefs” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 3,347 of them (52.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 3,347 records.
Reviews account for 337 records (5.3%) and meta-analyses for 30. Randomized controlled trials number 0 (0.0%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 0 |
| 2000-2009 | 10 |
| 2010-2019 | 3,026 |
| 2020 onward | 3,347 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 337 | 5.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 30 | 0.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 0 | 0.0% |
Method: PubMed query "Coral Reefs"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in public health and nutrition
Population and nutrition studies mostly observe what people eat, breathe or are exposed to and then look for links with health, which shows association and not proof of cause. Self-reported diet is imprecise, people who eat or live differently also differ in other ways, and effects measured across a population may not apply to one person. Check the study design, how exposure was measured, what else was accounted for and the size of the effect, not only whether it was statistically significant.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coral reefs benefit from reduced land-sea impacts under ocean warming | 2023 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 54 | cc by PMID 37558870 · DOI · PMC10511326 |
| Open science resources from the Tara Pacific expedition across coral reef and surface ocean ecosystems | 2023 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 23 | cc by PMID 37264023 · DOI · PMC10235096 |
| Highest ocean heat in four centuries places Great Barrier Reef in danger | 2024 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 20 | cc by PMID 39112620 · DOI · PMC11306100 |
| Severe and widespread coral reef damage during the 2014-2017 Global Coral Bleaching Event | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 16 | cc by PMID 41667425 · DOI · PMC12891614 |
Coral reefs benefit from reduced land-sea impacts under ocean warming [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Coral reef ecosystems are being fundamentally restructured by local human impacts and climate-driven marine heatwaves that trigger mass coral bleaching and mortality1.
- Closing excerpt
- Our results reveal that integrated land-sea management could help achieve coastal ocean conservation goals and provide coral reefs with the best opportunity to persist in our changing climate.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (212 words)
Coral reef ecosystems are being fundamentally restructured by local human impacts and climate-driven marine heatwaves that trigger mass coral bleaching and mortality1. Reducing local impacts can increase reef resistance to and recovery from bleaching2. However, resource managers lack clear advice on targeted actions that best support coral reefs under climate change3 and sector-based governance means most land- and sea-based management efforts remain siloed4. Here we combine surveys of reef change with a unique 20-year time series of land-sea human impacts that encompassed an unprecedented marine heatwave in Hawai'i. Reefs with increased herbivorous fish populations and reduced land-based impacts, such as wastewater pollution and urban runoff, had positive coral cover trajectories predisturbance. These reefs also experienced a modest reduction in coral mortality following severe heat stress compared to reefs with reduced fish populations and enhanced land-based impacts. Scenario modelling indicated that simultaneously reducing land-sea human impacts results in a three- to sixfold greater probability of a reef having high reef-builder cover four years postdisturbance than if either occurred in isolation. International efforts to protect 30% of Earth's land and ocean ecosystems by 2030 are underway5. Our results reveal that integrated land-sea management could help achieve coastal ocean conservation goals and provide coral reefs with the best opportunity to persist in our changing climate.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 37558870 · DOI · PMC10511326
Open science resources from the Tara Pacific expedition across coral reef and surface ocean ecosystems [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The Tara Pacific expedition (2016-2018) sampled coral ecosystems around 32 islands in the Pacific Ocean and the ocean surface waters at 249 locations, resulting in the collection of nearly 58 000 samples.
- Closing excerpt
- Such publicly released datasets open the perspective to address a wide range of scientific questions.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (148 words)
The Tara Pacific expedition (2016-2018) sampled coral ecosystems around 32 islands in the Pacific Ocean and the ocean surface waters at 249 locations, resulting in the collection of nearly 58 000 samples. The expedition was designed to systematically study warm-water coral reefs and included the collection of corals, fish, plankton, and seawater samples for advanced biogeochemical, molecular, and imaging analysis. Here we provide a complete description of the sampling methodology, and we explain how to explore and access the different datasets generated by the expedition. Environmental context data were obtained from taxonomic registries, gazetteers, almanacs, climatologies, operational biogeochemical models, and satellite observations. The quality of the different environmental measures has been validated not only by various quality control steps, but also through a global analysis allowing the comparison with known environmental large-scale structures. Such publicly released datasets open the perspective to address a wide range of scientific questions.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 37264023 · DOI · PMC10235096
Highest ocean heat in four centuries places Great Barrier Reef in danger [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia between 2016 and 2024 was driven by high sea surface temperatures (SST)1.
- Closing excerpt
- A continuation on the current trajectory would further threaten the ecological function4 and outstanding universal value5 of one of Earth's greatest natural wonders.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (205 words)
Mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia between 2016 and 2024 was driven by high sea surface temperatures (SST)1. The likelihood of temperature-induced bleaching is a key determinant for the future threat status of the GBR2, but the long-term context of recent temperatures in the region is unclear. Here we show that the January-March Coral Sea heat extremes in 2024, 2017 and 2020 (in order of descending mean SST anomalies) were the warmest in 400 years, exceeding the 95th-percentile uncertainty limit of our reconstructed pre-1900 maximum. The 2016, 2004 and 2022 events were the next warmest, exceeding the 90th-percentile limit. Climate model analysis confirms that human influence on the climate system is responsible for the rapid warming in recent decades. This attribution, together with the recent ocean temperature extremes, post-1900 warming trend and observed mass coral bleaching, shows that the existential threat to the GBR ecosystem from anthropogenic climate change is now realized. Without urgent intervention, the iconic GBR is at risk of experiencing temperatures conducive to near-annual coral bleaching3, with negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystems services. A continuation on the current trajectory would further threaten the ecological function4 and outstanding universal value5 of one of Earth's greatest natural wonders.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39112620 · DOI · PMC11306100
Severe and widespread coral reef damage during the 2014-2017 Global Coral Bleaching Event [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Ocean warming is increasing the frequency, extent, and severity of tropical-coral bleaching and mortality.
- Closing excerpt
- With heat stress levels during this event surpassing those observed previously, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed more extreme Bleaching Alert levels that are now being used during the ongoing Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (185 words)
Ocean warming is increasing the frequency, extent, and severity of tropical-coral bleaching and mortality. During 2014-2017, marine heatwaves caused the Third Global Coral Bleaching Event. We analyze data from 15,066 reef surveys globally during 2014-2017. Across all surveyed reefs, 80% and 35% experienced moderate or greater (affecting >10% of corals) bleaching and mortality, respectively. We assess the global extent of coral bleaching and mortality by applying bleaching response curves calibrated from surveyed reefs to predict bleaching globally, based on comprehensive remote-sensing of heat stress. These models predict that 51% and 15% of the world's coral reefs suffered moderate or greater bleaching and mortality, respectively, during one or multiple years, surpassing damage from any prior global coral bleaching event. Our findings demonstrate that the impacts of ocean warming on coral reefs are accelerating, with the near certainty that ongoing warming will cause large-scale, possibly irreversible, degradation of these essential ecosystems. With heat stress levels during this event surpassing those observed previously, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed more extreme Bleaching Alert levels that are now being used during the ongoing Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41667425 · DOI · PMC12891614
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Coral reefs in the Anthropocene [5]
- Research article Environmental impacts of dredging and other sediment disturbances on corals: a review [6]
- Research article The cost and feasibility of marine coastal restoration [7]
- Research article Defining the Core Microbiome in Corals' Microbial Soup [8]
- Research article Shifting paradigms in restoration of the world's coral reefs [9]
- Research article Evidence for multiple stressor interactions and effects on coral reefs [10]
References
- Gove JM, Williams GJ, Lecky J, Brown E, Conklin E, Counsell C, et al.. Coral reefs benefit from reduced land-sea impacts under ocean warming. . 2023. PMID 37558870 · DOI · PMC10511326
- Lombard F, Bourdin G, Pesant S, Agostini S, Baudena A, Boissin E, et al.. Open science resources from the Tara Pacific expedition across coral reef and surface ocean ecosystems. . 2023. PMID 37264023 · DOI · PMC10235096
- Henley BJ, McGregor HV, King AD, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Arzey AK, Karoly DJ, et al.. Highest ocean heat in four centuries places Great Barrier Reef in danger. . 2024. PMID 39112620 · DOI · PMC11306100
- Eakin CM, Heron SF, Connolly SR, Devotta DA, Liu G, Geiger EF, et al.. Severe and widespread coral reef damage during the 2014-2017 Global Coral Bleaching Event. . 2026. PMID 41667425 · DOI · PMC12891614
- Hughes TP, Barnes ML, Bellwood DR, Cinner JE, Cumming GS, Jackson JBC, et al.. Coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Nature. 2017. PMID 28569801 · DOI
- Erftemeijer PL, Riegl B, Hoeksema BW, Todd PA. Environmental impacts of dredging and other sediment disturbances on corals: a review. Mar Pollut Bull. 2012. PMID 22682583 · DOI
- Bayraktarov E, Saunders MI, Abdullah S, Mills M, Beher J, Possingham HP, et al.. The cost and feasibility of marine coastal restoration. Ecol Appl. 2016. PMID 27509748 · DOI
- Hernandez-Agreda A, Gates RD, Ainsworth TD. Defining the Core Microbiome in Corals' Microbial Soup. Trends Microbiol. 2017. PMID 27919551 · DOI
- van Oppen MJH, Gates RD, Blackall LL, Cantin N, Chakravarti LJ, Chan WY, et al.. Shifting paradigms in restoration of the world's coral reefs. Glob Chang Biol. 2017. PMID 28247459 · DOI
- Ban SS, Graham NA, Connolly SR. Evidence for multiple stressor interactions and effects on coral reefs. Glob Chang Biol. 2014. PMID 24166756 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.