The Miami Terrace Reef (25°45′N 79°55′W / 25.75°N 79.917°W / 25.75; -79.917) is a coral reef off the coast of Florida stretching from South Miami to Boca Raton, in the Atlantic Ocean. It lies in depths of 650 to 2,000 feet (200 to 600 meters) on top of a geological formation known as the Miami Terrace, a 65 km long shelf about 15 miles off shore. Much of the platform remains unexplored, and new portions of the reef are still being discovered. University of Miami researchers discovered new reef sites there in December 2005.
The terrace consists of long and well-defined rocky ridges made of limestone that provide a habitat for many types of corals, sponges, and fish. Fish species observed there include wreckfish, barrelfish, and bright red alphonsinos. Recently observed intertebrate species have included Lophelia pertusa coral, stylasterine hydrocoral (Stylasteridae), bamboo coral (Isididae), and various sponges and octocorals. Motile invertebrates such as crabs and urchins have also been observed there, including Asteroporpa sp. ophiuroids, Stylocidaris sp. urchins, Mollusca, Actiniaria, and Decapoda crustaceans (Chaceon fenneri and Galatheidae).
Corals on the terrace are vulnerable to the effects of bottom trawling and dredging, and the Miami Terrace has been proposed for protection from these activities.
Read more about Miami Terrace Reef: History, Conservation
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