Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are one of the most spectacular and fragile of underwater environments, covering less than one percent of the ocean floor but supporting an estimated twenty-five percent of all marine life. Even though they are located in the tropics, coral reefs can benefit people and the natural world far beyond their boundaries. what is unique about a coral reef is all the beautiful colors it has and the large amount of diversity of sea life. This uniqueness of the coral reefs is used by tourist companies to make money.countries with coral reef industries derivemore than half of their gross national product from them. A good exmple can be found in Boniare, a small Caribbean island. Bonaire earns about $23 million USD annually from coral reef activities. Coral reefs also provide coastal protection by taking most of the energy out of waves. they also provide many sources of medicine, reef animals and plants contain medicinal compounds. Several important drugs have already been developed from chemicals found in coral reef organisms. The most famous of these is AZT, a treatment for people with HIV infections, which is based on chemicals extracted from a Caribbean reef sponge. Unique compounds from coral reefs have also yielded treatments for cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, leukemia and skin cancer. In addition, coral's unique skeletal structure has been used to make our most advanced forms of bone grafting materials. Amazingly, more than half of all new cancer drug research focuses on marine organisms. due to ocean warming coral reefs are loosing their color and becoming bleached and the ocean warming also enhances coral diseases causing the corals to die. General estimates show approximately 10% world's coral reefs are already dead and 60% are in danger due to manly human activities such as heavy fishing, coastal development, and pollution. Coral reefs can not be found in temperature less than 18 to 20 degrees celsius.
What Inhabits Coral Reefs?
Coral reefs are one of the two most diverse ecosystems we have. there are so many diffrent types of sea life.
Needlefish
- Belonidae
- Beloniformes
- long, narrow jaw elongated body many sharp teeth
Squirrlefish
- Beryciformes
- Sangocentron Rubrum
- They are dull red or pinkish in color and are sometimes blotched. They are spiny and most have a clear dorsal fin with yellow
Spotted Moray Eel
- Muraenidae
- Muraena
- 3 to 4 feet in length identified by its round dark black sometimes purplish on its white or yellow body
Coraline algae
- Hapalidiaceae
- Florideophyceae
- Red algae characterized by a thallus
Seagrass
- Hydrocharitaceae
- Phyllospadix
- Tall, stalk-like plant, has roots, flowers, and seeds, but no stem