Coral Reef

To the average person, the mention of coral reefs is associated with an aesthetic feature, something pretty to look at but not entirely useful. Most people do not realize that coral reefs are an important part of not only the oceans ecosystem but for ours as well. Coral Reefs are estimated to contain one quarter of all the undersea species, while covering less than 0.2% of the ocean floor. Coral reefs are valuable to us on …showed first 75 words of 1411 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1411 total…If mortality occurs then the coral’s soft tissue becomes a food source for scavengers. This in turn compromises the integrity of the skeletal structure, which weakens the coral. If the coral becomes weakened the reef is then vulnerable to destruction from storms. As stated earlier, the reef is an important part of the fisheries and if removed, can have devastating effects on the local populations; we also see increased shoreline erosion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography** NONE