As defined and differentiated, coral is a live animal while a reef is a physical structure. Reefs are the habitat of corals which have been erected through the secretions of coral polyps over many generations. Reef-building corals are only found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters. The Philippines, as a center of marine biodiversity, is widely recognized nowadays for its coral reefs and corals. This is on account of the fact that the country is located in the Coral Triangle, an area with more species of fish and corals than any other marine environment on Earth.

Saving Philippine coral reefs. (2023, September 23). The Manila Times, pp. A4, A5.