Coral Reef Facts

Despite the advancements in, a lot from the marine ecosystem still stays unexplored. Also, there are many interesting oceanic facts that continue to perplex us till date. Ocean biomes and oceanic currents, marine plants, sunken ships, types of fish and many more things about the sea fascinate us. But one more thing that might leave you amazed are the corals and the coral reefs.

The coral reefs are found in shallow, warm water only, where the temperature of water is mostly constant throughout the year. Have you ever wondered what exactly are these reefs made up of? These are made up of as many as thousands of corals, and when this coral dies, it leaves behind the calcium carbonate skeleton. Further, the cycle starts again when the young ones attach themselves to the old skeleton. And so on, every generation builds up themselves on the prior generation. But what are corals? The coral reefs are made up of the actual animals called polyp (the physical part of the animal). This polyp is column shaped, and it attaches itself to the reef floor. Its top end extends into the water, being able to move freely. And like this, when thousands of polyp entwine, they form a colony, that is which forms a reef.

Facts About Coral Reefs

Here are some randomly arranged facts.

• These are the largest living structures on our planet.
• They cover less than 1% of the earth's surface but in spite of this fact they are a home to 25% of all the species of the marine fish.
• The term 'coral' refers to a number of different animals like the soft corals, hard corals, whip corals, sea pens, organ pipe coral, black coral, etc.
• A coral grows in a single, stable spot and grows there for the rest of its life.
• They are the oldest ecosystems present on the planet.
• Most of the coral reefs are located in the Pacific ocean.
• Almost 500 people all over the world are relying on them for their livelihood and most importantly, food.
• Around the world, coral reefs provide more than $350 billion per year regarding the goods and services, but is just an estimated price.
• These protect the shorelines, that are nearby, from the eroding forces of the sea, agricultural land, coastal dwellings, beaches, and the eroding forces by the sea, in the form of natural barriers.
• If the reefs weren't there, Florida would be under water.
• Scientists working off the coast of Bahia (state in Brazil), have discovered a vast region of coral reefs that were unknown.
• Scientists studying them off the coast of Australia have found over 300 species of soft corals.
• These are being also used for treating cancer, HIV, ulcers and cardiovascular diseases.
• The porous limestone of the coral has been used for the bone grafts for humans.
• The Great Barrier Reef is located in Queensland, Australia (north-east), is the largest coral reef in the world. This is made up of 3,000 small reefs and it covers 350,000 square kilometers and was found 500,000 years ago.
• Researches say that, taking into consideration the present condition, if the rate of destruction continues, almost 70% of the worlds' corals will be destroyed by the year 2050, so it is necessary to save the coral and the coral reefs.

Coral bleaching and a lot of water pollution is harming the corals at an alarming rate, which results in the destruction. Help save the coral reef, since they are the colorful pillars of this aquatic ecosystem.