So my own personal presumption has been that reefs constitute fairly dense and large clusters of colonies over periods measured in centuries and that the process has resulted in the build-up of a reef platform. The Norwegian and Irish instances show that deepwater corals do grow in masses, many colonies in close approximation and measuring hundreds of metres long. As far as the building up of a platform, it looks like some sort of a platform occurs in Norwegian coral assemblages. In the case of Labrador scleractinian assemblages, there is a base of fallen dead colonies that goes back about 10,000 years in age, with individual colonies more than a century or two old. So the latter certainly, aside from zooxanthellae, gives the closest approximation to reef-like conditions.
Coral reefs are such structures build by hermatypic corals and associated organisms.
I agree we need to stick with correct terminology, and educate the public and press in the process. Zibrowius 's message is already displayed above. Coral reefs are such structures build by hermatypic corals and associated organisms. I agree we need to stick with correct terminology, and educate the public and press in the process. Thanks for this enlightenment.