Florida's coral reefs came into existence 5,000 to 7,000 years ago when sea levels rose following the Wisconsin Ice Age. Growth of reefs are extremely slow, and estimates range from one to sixteen feet every 1,000 years.

The major reef architects are made up of stony corals. Polyps, the living portion of the coral, extract calcium from seawater and combine it with carbon dioxide to construct the elaborate limestone skeletons that form the reefs foundation. Coral polyps are united into colonies. An individual conoly grows one-half to seven inches a year, depending on the species. Corals start life as free-living larvae that later settle on the sea floor and develop into massive sedentary limestone formations.

Through reef corals are classifed as animals, there is, in fact, a complex of microscopic plants that lives within the animals tissues (a symbiotic relationship). The animals benefit from the energy that the plants provide through photosynthesis. The plants are protected within the coral tissues and gain nutrients from animal wastes. These tiny plants are called zooxanthellae and are responsible for much of the color seen in reef corals. With the understanding of the complex cycle on life of the reef, and the enormous time it takes to create on, makes it even more important to protect these reefs.