IPA: /hɜːrˈmæ.tɪ.pɪk/
KK: /hɜrˈmætəpɪk/
Relating to corals that create and build coral reefs.
The hermatypic corals are essential for the formation of vibrant reef ecosystems.
Hermatypic is formed from "herma" (from Greek "herma", meaning a boundary stone or marker) and "typic" (from Greek "typos", meaning a model or type). The term refers to coral species that form reefs, acting as markers of marine biodiversity.
Think of 'herma' as a boundary marker in the ocean, and 'typic' as a model — hermatypic refers to corals that create boundaries in marine ecosystems.