Coral Reef Fascinating Facts

Coral Reef Fascinating Facts

Top 20 Coral Reef Facts

  • Corals are ancient and simple animals related to jellyfish and anemones of the Phylum Cnideria.
  • An individual coral is made up of hundreds and thousands of genetically identical polyps forming a colony.
  • A polyp is a very small and simple organism, it consists a simple stomach topped by a tentacle-bearing mouth.
  • The polyps extend their tentacles to sting and ingest tiny organisms called plankton and other small creatures that become trapped in their grasp.
  • In the case of hard corals; each polyp excretes a calcium carbonate exoskeleton beneath it, this over long periods of time add up to build the structure of a coral reef.
  • Many other species – fish, invertebrates, algae and microorganisms – make their homes on and around the coral reef system.
  • Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
  • About one-third of all marine fish species live part of their lives on coral reefs.
  • Coral reefs contain 25% of the world’s marine fish species.
  • Reefs are where many fish and sea creatures choose to spawn. The protection of the reef means eggs will be safe from predators.
  • Coral reefs are second only to rainforests in biodiversity of species.
  • Reefs only occur in shallow areas that are reachable by sunlight, this is due to the symbiotic relationship between coral and algae.
  • Various types of microscopic algae, known as Symbiodinium, live inside of the coral, providing them with food and helping them to grow faster. In many ways, reef-building corals are animals that act like plants – they stay in one place and get some of their energy from the sun.
  • Coral reefs are found all around the world in tropical and subtropical oceans
  • They are usually found in shallow areas at a depth of less than 50m. However, some coral reefs extend even deeper, up to about 130m deep
  • Coral reefs protect coastlines from storms
  • They provide billions of dollars worth of food and jobs every year to people around the world.
  • Despite how important coral reefs are to life in the ocean, all of them in the world add up to less than one percent of the sea floor – an area about the size of France.
  • Coral reefs also help to improve the surrounding water quality. They act as a kind of filter that traps things floating in the water, which makes for cleaner water all around.
  • Scientists have discovered that many parts of a coral reef can be harvested to make medications to treat cancers and other illnesses.

We hope we could be helped you with these coral reef facts to improve your knowledge and if you want to read more about coral reefs we are happy to offer you here another article. Please click here!

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Raja Ampat Biodiversity Eco Resort is a place to connect with nature in one of the best diving and snorkeling destinations in the world!

Apart from the marine life that you can enjoy diving or snorkeling , Raja Ampat offers many other activities that will allow you to explore this spectacular part of the planet; kayaks, cultural visits to the villages, excursions in the jungle, visits to the small islands, enjoy the fauna and birds of the area (many of them endemic) …

In this blog we will share some of our adventures with you.

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