how long does it take for a coral reef to grow back
It takes a long time for the tiny coral polyps to create an entire reef. Coral formations grow an average of 1 to 8 inches per year. While ancestors of today's coral date back 240 million years, today's reefs began growing more than 50 million years ago, although most reefs are about 5,000 to 10,000 years old.oral Types. Coral comes in two types -- hard corals and soft corals. Hard corals grow in colonies and are responsible for the unique rock-like formations associated with coral reefs. Soft corals look like plants.