Reef Habitat Classes Habitat Class
Description
Extent (Ha)
# Sites
Reef Walls
Steep outer reef areas (>40o slope)
165.4
39
Reef Crest
Zone at the top of reef walls, generally shallow (1-3 m deep) and high wave-energy
37.5
18
Reef Slopes
Sloping reef (15-40o slope). Includes both offshore and inner lagoon reefs
1,774.8
96
Patch Reefs
Sloping reef (15-40o slope) around large patch reefs (circumference of at least 200 m). These are common features in some parts of the TRSP area, particularly within and just south of the lagoon
540.3
50
Reef Tops
Zones at top of reef slopes and patch reefs. Typically these are relatively flat areas with variable, but often quite low coral cover
321.0
38
Dense Coral Assemblages
Areas with high coral cover based on existing habitat maps, but which did not fall into other categories
3,221.8
21
Algal Reefs
Structurally-complex algal dominated reefs found on the offshore platform outside the lagoon
887.4
16
Note: we only included areas where we could realistically survey over at least 100 m of near continuous reef. There are extensive additional habitats within the Red Sea project where corals and associated fishes are present – typically those are patchy or sparsely populated or too deep for divers to feasibly survey.
16
