0
In some areas of the world, coral reefs are dying. Pollution, tourism and fishing all pose hazards to what are relatively fragile ecosystems. No doubt there are some isolated coral reefs which are thriving.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What does coral reefs have in them?
Coral reefs are made up of coral, the shell-like structures that the tiny sea animals build as their "houses". Each year, a living coral reef builds a new layer of coral; you might think of it as the collected skeletons of all the previous inhabitants of the reef. (Except that for coral, their "bones" are on the outside.)
How many inches of rainfall a year does the coral reef receive?
Interesting question - as coral reefs are submerged, measuring rainfall is nearly impossible.
How are coral reefs helpful?
Fish from coral reefs feed about 30-40 million people every year. They protect coasts from stong current, hurricanes and waves.
In what way are coral reefs essential for humans?
They are important to humans because animals in the corals reefs can be used to make medical drugs that help cure diseases, they can provide food for more that 1million people, and some lime stone reefs can be used for human bone grafts.
What are the seasonal affects on the coral reef?
Coral reefs are all in tropical waters, so they would be warm all the year round, but, yes, they do have seasonal changes.
What are the seasons like in coral reef?
The seasons in coal reefs are warm all year round all of the time.
What is the average yearly precipitaion of the coral reef biome?
"Given that a coral reef is already underwater, it doesn't really matter. And the precipitation doesn't reach the reef anyway."How_much_precipitation_does_the_coral_reef_receive_in_a_yearOn average is 80 inches of rainfall per year above the coral reef.
How has the use of caral benefited the economy?
Coral supports commercial and subsistence fisheries, as well as jobs and businesses through tourism. Globally coral reefs provide a staggering $9.6 Billion/year in tourism, and $5.7 Billion/year in fisheries.
How does the crown of thorn starfish affect coral reefs around Australia?
The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish threatens coral life because it eats coral. This is typically natural, but when overbred, such as on the Great Barrier Reef, they eat the coral, leaving it void of life. Typically the coral regrows itself, but when the starfish is in overabundance, it passes back over the young coral, not giving it time to recooperate. Thus, the coral reefs cannot support life, damaging the ecosystem.
What coral is becoming extinct?
There are many corals threatened with with extinction. Current estimates are that for a variety of reasons, pollution, fishing, disease, warming oceans fully one half of all corals are threated. Some examples are The Great Barrier Reef off Australia; the reefs of Hawaii in Kaneoke Bay and Waikiki Bay; reefs off Guam, the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and Bermuda; and reefs in the Indian Ocean: all are in various stages of destruction. African states with endangered reefs in the western Indian Ocean include Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Florida's barrier reef was calculated in 1986 to be dying at the rate of 4% a year. In 1991, parts of the reef were dying at the rate of 10% a year. Reefs consist of many types of coral such as Brain, Staghorn, Pillar, Black, Whip, Fan etc.
What are facts about reef?
coral snake vary widely in their behavior. the coral snake posses the second most potent venom in North America. kaleb ronning is awsomeInteresting & Fun Facts About Coral ReefsThough coral reefs cover leas than 1% of the Earth's surface, over 25% of all marine fish species find their homes in coral reefs. These marine species include oysters, sea urchins, sea anemones, jellyfish, crabs, shrimp, sponges, lobsters, octopus, clams, sea turtles and mollusks.Coral reefs are found in shallow waters with a range of 60 m depth. While some species can be found in cooler temperate water, others prefer tropical climate, with waters ranging in the temperatures of 19-33 °C.A strange fact about coral reefs is that algae are the natural glue that holds them together to maintain their shape.About 10 million bacteria live on one square centimeter of coral.Coral reefs are found in large numbers called colonies. Individual polyps are linked by tissues to form colonies. An individual polyp can vary from 3-56 mm in diameter or height, while the colonies range from 75-1500 mm in width, height or length.The coral polyps are tiny, soft-bodied invertebrate animals with no backbones. Instead, they have a hard, protective limestone skeleton called a calicle found at the base.Coral polyps have a lifespan ranging from 2 years to hundreds of years, while corals in colonies are known to live from 5 years to several centuries. Some coral reefs present today are over 50 million years old.Parts of Florida would have been under water, if coral reefs would have not existed.There are over 500 million people who rely on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods.The corals get their color from tiny microscopic plants living within them. They capture energy from the sun by photosynthesis, just like plants do.The growth rate of a coral reef is less than 3 cm per year; hence it takes several years to form a large reef.Coral reefs protect coastal dwellings, agricultural land and beaches by forming natural barriers, along the shorelines of the sea.Less known, coral reefs are widely used in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases and ulcers.Porous limestone skeletons of the corals have been used in grafting human bones.The largest coral reef formation is the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland in North-East Australia formed around 500,000 years ago. It consists of almost 3,000 smaller reefs and covers an area of around 350,000 square kilometers.Pacific coral reefs contain more species of fishes, plants and corals than Caribbean coral reefs do.
How long does it take a coral to get established in a reef tank?
It will take millons and millons of yearsWrong!Depending of the coral,starting from 1cm/year up to 50cm/year in species like xenia
