Coral Reef Formation
by Owen Omid Borville
December 19, 2018
Biology, Geology
The subject of coral reef formation is of particular interest, particularly to creationists. Corals are marine invertebrates that commonly live in compact colonies and certain forms of coral commonly form reefs. Each single coral animal is called a polyp, but the coral branch or block we see on the reef is actually not a single animal but a colony of hundreds or thousands of tiny polyps living side by side, giving the appearance of being a single “coral.” The reef-building coral live in shallow tropical ocean depths and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton, while each coral organism continues to attach to other corals to form a larger skeleton reef structure. As corals grow, they continually build on top of older layers of reef structure, while cementing off layers beneath and adjacent to each individual coral, like a high-rise apartment complex. The living coral always live on top of the outermost layer of the older coral material and continue to build this structure, which can become very massive in size (1). The largest coral reef in the world is located at the Great Barrier Reef northeast of Australia, which extends 1,429 miles long and covers 134,000 square miles. Other large reefs are located at the Philippines, the Caribbean Basin, the Red Sea Coral, and the Indian Ocean Maldives. The rate of coral growth depends of a variety of environmental factors, including sunlight, temperature, salinity, food supply, and wave action. The growth rate of coral reefs can range from half a centimeter per year to two centimeters per year, while under ideal conditions, growth can be more than four centimeters per year. Coral reefs grow on top of the limestone remains of former colonies or other rocky surface and can eventually form massive reefs (2). There really is no species on earth like corals that build such a structure and these organisms are part of God's unique design.
Evolutionists and old-earth geologists claim that fossilized coral reefs formed over 240 million years ago. Most established living coral reefs today are between 5,000 to 10,000 years old and grow near the edges of continents or islands (3). Different species of coral grow at different rates and environmental factors influence the rate of growth. Today’s oldest living coral reefs are believed to be aged less than 5,000 years, indicating that they began to regrow after the Genesis Flood. Creationists dispute the evolutionist uniformitarian ages of fossilized coral reefs, citing that the pre-Flood environmental conditions were different than today’s conditions. In addition, the effects of the Flood likely submerged ancient corals with limestone sediment, mud, and other materials which likely increased the size of the corals and gave the appearance of coral. However, these fossilized corals may be an accumulation of sediment that resembles a coral reef and not a deceased coral reef that grew at today’s rates. In other words, the living coral layers are growing on top of the sediment accumulated from the Genesis Flood, causing the appearance of many more layers of coral growth than actually have grown and existed in the past. (4) Whitcomb and Morris (5) explain that the Genesis Flood likely eroded and redeposited ancient coral reef material, giving today's reefs the appearance of an ancient reef. Therefore, the history of coral reef formation on Earth and fossilized coral reefs should be less than 6,000 years old, which is younger than what evolutionists propose and is consistent with creationist timescales.
1) How Do Coral Reefs Form? Address: https://www.nps.gov/npsa/learn/education/classrooms/how-do-coral-reefs-form.htm (accessed April 13, 2018).
2) What is a Coral Reef Made Of? Address: oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coralmadeof.html (updated 10/10/17).
3) How Coral Reefs Grow. Address: https://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/coral-reef-ecology/how-coral-reefs-grow/ (accessed 12/10/17).
4) John D. Morris, Ph.D. 2013. Fossil Coral Reefs Among Rock Strata. Acts and Facts. 42 (12).
5) Whitcomb and Morris. The Genesis Flood. (1961, p.409)
by Owen Omid Borville
December 19, 2018
Biology, Geology
The subject of coral reef formation is of particular interest, particularly to creationists. Corals are marine invertebrates that commonly live in compact colonies and certain forms of coral commonly form reefs. Each single coral animal is called a polyp, but the coral branch or block we see on the reef is actually not a single animal but a colony of hundreds or thousands of tiny polyps living side by side, giving the appearance of being a single “coral.” The reef-building coral live in shallow tropical ocean depths and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton, while each coral organism continues to attach to other corals to form a larger skeleton reef structure. As corals grow, they continually build on top of older layers of reef structure, while cementing off layers beneath and adjacent to each individual coral, like a high-rise apartment complex. The living coral always live on top of the outermost layer of the older coral material and continue to build this structure, which can become very massive in size (1). The largest coral reef in the world is located at the Great Barrier Reef northeast of Australia, which extends 1,429 miles long and covers 134,000 square miles. Other large reefs are located at the Philippines, the Caribbean Basin, the Red Sea Coral, and the Indian Ocean Maldives. The rate of coral growth depends of a variety of environmental factors, including sunlight, temperature, salinity, food supply, and wave action. The growth rate of coral reefs can range from half a centimeter per year to two centimeters per year, while under ideal conditions, growth can be more than four centimeters per year. Coral reefs grow on top of the limestone remains of former colonies or other rocky surface and can eventually form massive reefs (2). There really is no species on earth like corals that build such a structure and these organisms are part of God's unique design.
Evolutionists and old-earth geologists claim that fossilized coral reefs formed over 240 million years ago. Most established living coral reefs today are between 5,000 to 10,000 years old and grow near the edges of continents or islands (3). Different species of coral grow at different rates and environmental factors influence the rate of growth. Today’s oldest living coral reefs are believed to be aged less than 5,000 years, indicating that they began to regrow after the Genesis Flood. Creationists dispute the evolutionist uniformitarian ages of fossilized coral reefs, citing that the pre-Flood environmental conditions were different than today’s conditions. In addition, the effects of the Flood likely submerged ancient corals with limestone sediment, mud, and other materials which likely increased the size of the corals and gave the appearance of coral. However, these fossilized corals may be an accumulation of sediment that resembles a coral reef and not a deceased coral reef that grew at today’s rates. In other words, the living coral layers are growing on top of the sediment accumulated from the Genesis Flood, causing the appearance of many more layers of coral growth than actually have grown and existed in the past. (4) Whitcomb and Morris (5) explain that the Genesis Flood likely eroded and redeposited ancient coral reef material, giving today's reefs the appearance of an ancient reef. Therefore, the history of coral reef formation on Earth and fossilized coral reefs should be less than 6,000 years old, which is younger than what evolutionists propose and is consistent with creationist timescales.
1) How Do Coral Reefs Form? Address: https://www.nps.gov/npsa/learn/education/classrooms/how-do-coral-reefs-form.htm (accessed April 13, 2018).
2) What is a Coral Reef Made Of? Address: oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coralmadeof.html (updated 10/10/17).
3) How Coral Reefs Grow. Address: https://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/coral-reef-ecology/how-coral-reefs-grow/ (accessed 12/10/17).
4) John D. Morris, Ph.D. 2013. Fossil Coral Reefs Among Rock Strata. Acts and Facts. 42 (12).
5) Whitcomb and Morris. The Genesis Flood. (1961, p.409)
