Monday, September 1, 2008
Facts of coral reefs :
- They are structures produced by living organisms found in marine with little nutrients as high nutrient level can harm the reef by the growth of algae.
- A coral reef is made up of thin layers of calcium carbonate (limestone) secreted over thousands of years by billions of tiny soft bodied animals called coral polyps.
- Coral reefs are the world's most diverse marine ecosystems and are home to twenty-five percent of known marine species, including 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral and thousands of other plants and animals.
- Coral reefs have been existed for over 400 million years.
- The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches along the northeast coast of Australia, from the northern tip of Queensland, to just north of Bundaberg. At 2,300km long, it is the largest natural feature on Earth.
- Coral reefs occupy less than one quarter of one percent of the Earth's marine environment, yet they support more than a quarter of all known fish species. As well as supporting huge tourist industries, coral reefs protect shorelines from damages caused by erosion and storm
^ Coral reef
Sources :
info - ReefRelief
picture - http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/images/coral_reef_1.jpg
Labels: Corals and coral reefs, Facts
