Sanganeb Atoll Marine National Park is renowned for its beautiful and unique coral reef which are among the best in the Red Sea. Sanganeb’s reef rises from 800m depth to the surface. The reef itself, has one of the richest displays of hard and soft corals in the Red Sea, and supports a total of 124 coral species.

The reefs at Sanganeb Atoll Marine National Park are in good condition and support a high numbers of hard and soft coral species, which provide habitat for an abundance of other species. As there is no resident population on the atoll and the park is protected from fishing, it is not immediately threatened by the same types of human activities affecting many other reefs globally. There are signs of impacts due to elevated sea water temperatures, which has resulted in some coral bleaching. Currently, the level of impact from divers on the coral reef is low.

Sanganeb’s reef encloses complex series of partially connected semi-enclosed lagoons. The atoll is open to the west and this is the main point of access to central lagoon. The lagoon to the south is accessed via a small pass no more than 3m deep and 5m wide, and it is the most sheltered and the shallowest part, with depths no more than 20m . The northern lagoon is semi-enclosed by a string of patch reefs. The whole lagoon is edged by corals and there are small patch reefs and coral bommies rising from the lagoon floor, making navigation moderately hazardous particularly at night. The lagoon is an important nursery and spawning ground for fish.