What do you typically think of when you hear the word reef? Many of you think of crystal clear waters, and tropical coral reefs. But what if we told you, that many other organisms also build reefs, and can be found along many coastlines around the world?

Temperate reefs are found in the cooler waters of the temperate regions of the world and instead of being composed of just coral can also be seaweeds, bivalve mollusks, plants and even worms! Temperate reefs are also home to a large variety of marine life, can be essential nurseries and feeding grounds and play an important role in the marine environment.

Reefs are built by species known as ecological or ecosystem engineers, which are known to directly or indirectly modulate the availability of resources to other species. This can be through physical changes to their environment by modifying their living and/or nonliving surroundings.