What are facts about reef?

Answer 1

coral snake vary widely in their behavior. the coral snake posses the second most potent venom in North America. kaleb ronning is awsome
Interesting & Fun Facts About Coral Reefs

• Though 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.