The Importance of the Coral Reef
Coral reefs have a diverse ecosystem and are important in many ways. They help with nutrient recycling, assist in carbon as well as nitrogen fixing, are the source for nitrogen which is essential for survival as well as other very well needed nutrients for marine food chains, provides shelter and habitat for many marine organisms, and lastly the protect the coastlines from wave action and tropical storms damaging affect. Coral reefs provide tourism with biodiversity for humans, food source and income because coral reefs hold fish, carbon dioxide levels in water, source for medical advances (ex: treatment for cancer, etc.), water filtration as well as other beneficial things. They are really important to the ecosystem as well as other species and reducing biodiversity of an ecosystem by extinction through organisms can lead to an unhealthy ecosystem with lack of function. Coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef also benefit humans as well as other species which if the ecosystem were to fail this in turn will affect us (humans) also by affecting natural resources we need, biodiversity in species, recycling as well as purification of water and air, soil creation, break down of pollutants and more. It is important to save species and prevent them from extinction because it affects every species in an ecosystem as well as other things. There are many ways to help save the corals in the Great Barrier Reef and in other places as well. Go to our donate page with more information on ways with how to help save the Great Barrier Reef (with or without money), all we need is your time and effort to this cause to help us invest in the future. Take action now before it is too late and the damage done is irreversible (beyond recovery).
What Is a Coral Reef
These mounds and ridges found in warm, shallow seas all over the world were formed over thousands of years by coral polyps. There are two types of corals, hard coral and soft coral. Hard coral, tiny, colonial organisms that secrete a hard, outer skeleton made of calcium, lay the foundation, and build up, reef structures. As the old coral polyps die, new communities of living polyps help build up the coral reef, little by little, every year. The top layer of coral reefs therefore contains living polyps. The soft corals, tiny, bendable, plant-like marine organisms, are also found in coral reefs; however, since they do not leave behind a hard outer skeleton of calcium carbonate, soft corals cannot help build up the reef. Soft corals therefore are most often found at the top, living layer of coral reefs.
The result of this accumulation of a variety of species of hard corals, as well as soft corals are thousands of colorful and unique coral reefs all over the world, extending over 110 000 square miles and providing shelter to billions of fish.
As these coral reefs expand, each one develops into one of three different characteristic structures. They become fringing reefs, barrier reefs, or atoll reefs. Fringing reefs form borders along the shoreline and around surrounding islands. Barrier reefs also border shorelines, but they extend greater distances away from the shore. They are separated from the land mass by a deep lagoon. An Atoll forms when a fringing reef surrounding a volcanic island sinks below sea level, while the coral continues to grow upwards.
The result of this accumulation of a variety of species of hard corals, as well as soft corals are thousands of colorful and unique coral reefs all over the world, extending over 110 000 square miles and providing shelter to billions of fish.
As these coral reefs expand, each one develops into one of three different characteristic structures. They become fringing reefs, barrier reefs, or atoll reefs. Fringing reefs form borders along the shoreline and around surrounding islands. Barrier reefs also border shorelines, but they extend greater distances away from the shore. They are separated from the land mass by a deep lagoon. An Atoll forms when a fringing reef surrounding a volcanic island sinks below sea level, while the coral continues to grow upwards.
Where are Coral Reefs Located
The location of coral reefs depends greatly upon the temperature, salinity and depth of the water.
In addition to requiring very saline water, reef-building corals cannot tolerate water temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius. Therefore, coral reefs flourish in shallow, marine areas (less than 120 feet) in tropical latitudes where the sun is able to reach the coral and warm the area up. These areas where most corals are restricted to where sunlight penetrates to a depth of approximately 70 meters, make up the euphoric zone. In deeper areas (despotic and aphonic zones), not enough light penetrates the depths, which means the reefs' main food producers, algae, and plankton, cannot photosynthesize.
In addition to requiring very saline water, reef-building corals cannot tolerate water temperatures below 18 degrees Celsius. Therefore, coral reefs flourish in shallow, marine areas (less than 120 feet) in tropical latitudes where the sun is able to reach the coral and warm the area up. These areas where most corals are restricted to where sunlight penetrates to a depth of approximately 70 meters, make up the euphoric zone. In deeper areas (despotic and aphonic zones), not enough light penetrates the depths, which means the reefs' main food producers, algae, and plankton, cannot photosynthesize.
Therefore, coral reefs are most often found in shallow, but also tropical zones, near the equator, like the Caribbean Sea, the western Indian Ocean and the western reaches of South Pacific. However, some coral reefs live in non-tropical zones; They live in the Red Sea, where a lot of heat from the sun caused by the surrounding desert climate provides the needed warmth, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef, which is kept warm by a tropical Pacific Ocean current.