Salt Reef.com http://www.saltreef.com Coral reefs diving and facts Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:59:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Coral reefs http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reefs/ http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reefs/#comments Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:02:36 +0000 admin http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reefs/ Coral reefs are the foundation of the water ecosystem.

Coral reef serves as the food, shelter and medicine of aquatic animals that are slowly obliterated.

Coral reef, a common water ecosystem, can be found in almost 100 countries. Today, it is one of the world’s most fragile and endangered ecosystems. A coral reef is very important to aquatic animals for it serves as their breeding ground and food to some of them.

However, due to man’s harmful activities and rapid environmental change, these slowly destroy the life of the great coral reefs.

See also

]]> http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reefs/feed/ Types of Corals http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/types-of-corals/ http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/types-of-corals/#comments Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:02:18 +0000 admin http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/types-of-corals/ There are three types of corals reefs.

Those 3 types are:

  • The fringing coral reefs
  • Barrier reefs
  • Atolls

Reefs that grow in shallow waters are classified as Fringing reefs. It borders the coast closely or is separated in the coast by a narrow stretch of water.

Barrier reefs are reefs that are separated from land by lagoon. It is large and continuous and grows parallel to the coast.

Atolls, on the other hand, grow on near sea surface when the island surrounded by reefs subsides.

]]> http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/types-of-corals/feed/ Coral reef threats http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reef-threats/ http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reef-threats/#comments Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:01:38 +0000 admin http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reef-threats/ Natural threats and human-caused or anthropogenic threats.
A natural threat includes weather-related disturbances. A single storm can break or flatten corals, scattering their fragments and wipe out the entire colony. A slight rise of maximum water temperature can stress corals causing them to expel the microscopic organism called zooxanthellae which provide them nutrients and gives colors to their tissues.

Corals are also vulnerable to predators like fish, marine worms, barnacles, crabs and sea stars where they prey on the inner soft tissue of coral polyps.

Water pollution is one of the greatest threats to corals. Dumping hazardous chemicals to the sea is lethal to the colony. Human’s activities like fishing with explosives send dead fish to water surface damaging the living coral reefs. Collection of corals, and careless boating or diving can also damage coral reefs. Furthermore, construction, mining, farming and logging along coats may result to sedimentation where soil run off smothers coral reefs and blocks sunlight which is essential to their survival.

]]> http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/coral-reef-threats/feed/ Rescueing coral reefs http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/rescueing-coral-reefs/ http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/rescueing-coral-reefs/#comments Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:01:23 +0000 admin http://www.saltreef.com/2007/10/22/rescueing-coral-reefs/ Coral reefs are essential to water biodiversity.
It is indeed necessary to put actions to save the rainforest of the ocean.

Many environmental groups derive a plan to help coral reefs survive. Simple gestures like avoid dumping garbage to any bodies of water can be a stepping stone towards full rehabilitation of corals. Coral reefs are needed by aquatic animals that are also needed by humans for food. If coral reefs perish, man cannot get anything from the ocean in return. It is, therefore, a must to help save the life of this very fragile ecosystem.

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