Coral reefs are found in shallow warm water of the _______.

Coral reefs require shallow, warm, tropical waters to thrive, typically found between 30°N and 30°S latitudes. These conditions provide optimal sunlight for photosynthesis by zooxanthellae algae living in coral tissues. The tropics offer the stable warm temperatures (23-29°C) and clear shallow waters that corals need for growth and reef formation.