Questions: What is the importance of Coral reefs?
Answer: Coral reefs are massive underwater structures that are developed from the skeleton of colonial
marine invertebrates, referred as Coral. In general the coral species that build reefs are called
“hermatypic” or hard corals because from the sea water they exact calcium carbonate salt to develop a
hard and strong exoskeleton that helps shield their soft and sac like bodies.
Importance of Coral reefs:
Coral reefs establish an important ecosystem for the marine life underwater, guarding coastal regions by
reducing the energy of waves hitting the coast and also providing crucial source of income for millions of
people.
Coral reefs are enriched with diversity of life. On a single reef also referred as “polyp”, tens of thousands
of species can be found such as fish species, mollusc species and various turtle varieties.
Coral reefs are worth an estimated £6 trillion annually, thanks to their contribution to the fishing and
tourism industries, as well as the coastal security they offer.
Reefs provide food, employment, and coastal security to more than 500 million people around the
world. Coral reef ridges serve as walls, reducing wave energy by up to 97 percent and providing vital
protection from natural hazards including tsunamis. Coral reefs also aid in the preservation of areas such
as mangrove forests and sea grass beds, which serve as nurseries for marine animals as well as human
populations along the coast.
One of the recent development is extracts from plants and animals living on reefs have been processed
to develop treatments for asthma, cancer and heart diseases.
Answer: Coral reefs are massive underwater structures that are developed from the skeleton of colonial
marine invertebrates, referred as Coral. In general the coral species that build reefs are called
“hermatypic” or hard corals because from the sea water they exact calcium carbonate salt to develop a
hard and strong exoskeleton that helps shield their soft and sac like bodies.
Importance of Coral reefs:
Coral reefs establish an important ecosystem for the marine life underwater, guarding coastal regions by
reducing the energy of waves hitting the coast and also providing crucial source of income for millions of
people.
Coral reefs are enriched with diversity of life. On a single reef also referred as “polyp”, tens of thousands
of species can be found such as fish species, mollusc species and various turtle varieties.
Coral reefs are worth an estimated £6 trillion annually, thanks to their contribution to the fishing and
tourism industries, as well as the coastal security they offer.
Reefs provide food, employment, and coastal security to more than 500 million people around the
world. Coral reef ridges serve as walls, reducing wave energy by up to 97 percent and providing vital
protection from natural hazards including tsunamis. Coral reefs also aid in the preservation of areas such
as mangrove forests and sea grass beds, which serve as nurseries for marine animals as well as human
populations along the coast.
One of the recent development is extracts from plants and animals living on reefs have been processed
to develop treatments for asthma, cancer and heart diseases.
