Coral reefs are home to a fantastic
diversity of marine animals
Coral reefs are home to a
fantastic diversity of marine animals. A single coral reef can have more than
4,000 species of fish and other sea creatures. For example, in Seychelles,
there are more than 1000 saltwater fish species, plus 300 various types of
coral. More so, coral reefs like those in the archipelago islands of Seychelles
offer habit for more than 1000 types of saltwater fish species and 300
different types of coral. Furthermore, these coral reefs are also home to the
highly endangered green and hawksbill turtles. Additionally, these areas become
the feeding grounds for other sea creatures, such as the enormous whale sharks
and manta rays.
More so, endangered species
such as the green and hawksbill turtles rely on coral reefs for survival. For
instance, 90% of sea turtles spend time at a coral reef during their life span;
many species lay their eggs there or feed off the algae that grow on its
surface. Coral reefs also provide shelters for small animals such as octopuses
and shrimp—and these little guys are usually eaten by larger predators like
sharks when they venture into open water!
Many species of coral reefs are
only found in a few global places
Coral reefs are found in
warm, shallow waters. They are only found in the tropics and subtropics of the
western and central Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea.
These areas are known as coral reef provinces.
These provinces share similar characteristics:
- They have clear, shallow water that is usually less than 100 feet deep
- The water temperature stays between 68°F and 86°F year-round
- They have strong sunlight that reaches depths of up to 50 feet (15 meters)
A misconception is that
corals are rocks or plants; however, they are animals. Corals are cousins of
sea animals, such as sea anemones and jellyfish. More so, you can find
challenging and soft varieties of coral that live together in large groups
called colonies. Some of these colonies are visible from space.
Corals are house-building marine
animals
Corals are invertebrates,
meaning they lack backbones. Also, coral is sessile, meaning it cannot move
around independently. Also, as mentioned before, corals form colonies and have
a soft tissue composition that can allow them to change colours in response to
environmental conditions.
Corals are closely
related to sea anemones and jellyfish but belong to a separate group called
hexacorals (which also includes sea fans and gorgonians). These cold-blooded
animals are filter feeders; they take in water through tiny holes on the sides
of their bodies known as mouths or polyps, then strain out food particles with
stinging cells known as cnidocytes (cells containing stinging capsules) located
inside their tentacles. The remaining water is expelled from the same opening,
where it enters via flagella (microscopic hair-like appendages).
Corals are one of the
most fragile ecosystems on the planet and suffer from pollution, overfishing,
and climate change.
Coral reefs have been
building up in the warm, shallow waters of the world's oceans for more than 500
million years. These coral reefs are also some of the oldest ecosystems on
earth and provide a home to nearly one-quarter of all marine species. However,
corals are one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet and suffer from
pollution, overfishing, and climate change.
Climate change has led to
global warming, which has caused ocean temperatures to rise significantly
worldwide over the last century. The water temperature must be between 28-32
degrees Celsius for corals to thrive. Still, it is predicted that by 2050
global warming will cause a 2-degree Celsius increase in ocean temperatures
with many more devastating effects, including bleaching (when coral loses its
color).
Coral reefs also suffer
from overfishing which occurs when people take away fish or other animals from
an ecosystem without replacing them so that there are not enough organisms for
other animals to feed off of (such as sharks). If there aren't enough organisms
in an ecosystem, then all species suffer because they cannot survive off each
other anymore!
The impact of coral bleaching
When a coral reef is
damaged, it is less able to support the variety of sea creatures that inhabit
them and the nearby communities. Once a coral reef supports a smaller number of
plants, fish, and animals, it loses its significance as a tourist destination.
Seychelles has also been impacted by global warming, losing nearly 90% of its
coral reefs in 1998 through to bleaching. Another bleaching event happened in
2016, but some reefs recovered. What the scientist found was that some coral
was more resistant than others. As such, a vital project was led to
re-introducing these super-coral to areas impacted by bleaching. So, the goal
Seychelles has is to speed up the re-introduction of coral to the area through
the use of coral farming.
Long story short
Coral reefs provide
essential habitats for a wide variety of marine life in some of the most
vulnerable parts of the world. However, coral reefs are also one of the most
fragile ecosystems, so we must take care of them. These corals are found in
tropical waters and provide food and shelter for many different species of
fish, whales, dolphins, and other marine animals. One of the unique features of
coral reefs is that they provide a safe place for baby sea turtles to hatch
from their eggs. These reefs also provide homes to thousands of plants and
animals that would otherwise not have any protection from predators or other
dangers. This balance between predator and prey keeps these ecosystems thriving
so well! Coral reefs offer essential habitats for our oceans and are home to
thousands of species that would not be able to survive without them. Without
these habitats, many marine animals would not be able to survive or thrive in
their natural environments. With global warming threatening coral reefs
worldwide with extinction sooner than later, we need to do everything possible
before it's too late!
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