Is coral a plant, an animal, or a rock? Amazingly, coral is all 3! Here are 10 fascinating Facts About Coral. SUBSCRIBE for the latest videos: https://goo.gl/7xzjzR Don't forget to CHECK OUT our latest upload: https://goo.gl/LUB8Xw Sand Is Made From Pooped Coral The Purple Streak Parrotfish and this guy just so happens to feed off coral. The Parrotfish nibbling on delicious algae to encompass Ben and Jerry's own Phish Food of the sea. Afterwards, the fuel is excreted into a beautiful white sand substance and this process helps create those perfect beaches adorning postcards and destination brochures. Size Matters As there are twenty five different families of corals around the world and roughly 1500 species, it comes as no surprise that coral is a superhost to a variety of sea life. While coral reefs manage to span as little as 1% of the ocean, they provide a cozy home to 25% known marine species. Plus, offering homes to more than 4,000 different species of fish, it is quite fascinating to think that there are more of these swimmers inhabiting a two-acre span of reef than there are species of birds in the entirety of North America! Minerals And Plants And Animals, Oh My! Growing in the shallows of clear tropical waters where sunlight can easily hit the soft seabed floor, corals don’t stray far from land. Infact, out of the three main. A commonality of all three reefs are the two type of coral that encompass each: hard and soft. Stony corals build the reef’s solid frame through the production of limestone, and soft corals provide a safe habitat for its marine life friends. When Coral Met Algae Coral relies on photosynthetic algae to receive 90% of its food and energy through photosynthesis; in turn, coral tissues attract algae and provide the compounds necessary for photosynthesis. In a sense, algae helps coral survive and coral gives its friend a cozy habitat to live in. Age Is Nothing But A Really Long Number Having existed for over 400,000 years, the Mediterranean sea was home to the largest ever number of coral colonies but this was then, now, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is considered the largest living thing on earth and can be seen from space! Geologists suggest that the ancestors of modern reef ecosystems are at least 240 million years old. The fossil record for more than 400 million years, corals are considered ancient animals of the sea, evolving into contemporary reef-building structures over the past 25 million years. Familial Ties And you thought you didn’t like your family. Imagine being related to the stinging jelly or stinging polyp-- aka the sea anemone. This is where coral polyps get their ability to sting out of defense and capture food through their ring of floating tentacles. It’s like they always say: A family that preys together stays together. Barrier actually means barrier Reefs protect the coastline against menacing waves, stormfronts, floods and help lessen loss of life in the wake of natural catastrophe, as well as lessen property damage and land erosion. One of the greatest known barriers is the Great Barrier Reef located in Australia off the coast of Queensland. This ecosystem spans 2,300 kilometers and consists of thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands all encompassing over 600 types of the hard and soft corals aforementioned. New-Age Medicines The next time you need to go to the pharmacy, look no further than your local barrier reef. According to the National Department of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coral is the quintessential medicinal cabinet of the sea. Living an immobile life thus involves the evolution of chemical defense mechanisms that keep it safe from harm. Within these microscopic polyps, scientist continue to discover new medical treatments, commercial products and even cosmetics produced from the diverse chemical components found in corals. Ask Not What You Can Do For Coral, But What Coral Can Do For You According to a study by Smithsonian Ocean, approximately 30 million depend on the reefs for their livelihood. The value of coral ecosystems is estimated at USD $29.8 billion per year based on food, jobs, and protection of our coastlines. All in all, coral reefs are a very unique structure of life and productivity: They rival old growth forests in terms of longevity regarding their ecological systems. Coral Bleaching Algae can live without coral but coral cannot live without algae. Major factors causing coral bleaching are from global warming and pollution. When trash floats on the surface it affects water temperature and light which affects any chance of photosynthesis occurring below the surface. When it goes, so does the beautiful color associated with coral. Currently, 25% of our reefs are damaged beyond repair. As of now, 19% of the world's reefs have been lost. 15% will be seriously threatened in the next 10 to 20 years.
Facts About Coral You WON'T BELIEVE - YouTube |
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