Coral reefs are arguably the world's most beautiful habitats. Coral reefs have been called the rainforests of the oceans, because of the rich diversity of life they support. Scientists have not yet finished counting the thousands of different species of plants and animals that use or live in the coral reef. There are three types of coral reefs: fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Fringing reefs are located close to shore, separated from land by only shallow water. Barrier reefs lie farther offshore, separated from land by lagoons more than ten meters deep. Atolls, on the other hand, are formed far offshore and they make a ring-shaped reef that close a circular lagoon. Coral reefs are the largest biological structures on the planet, with the largest being the Great Barrier Reef cove

Like the rain forests, the reefs also hold considerable untapped potential in the science of medicine. Japan's coast is one of the most studied coral coasts in the world. In Japan's reefs there is a chemical called kainic acid, which is used as a diagnostic chemical to investigate Huntington's chorea, a rare but fatal disease of the nervous system. Coral also produces a natural sunscreen, which is now being marketed to sell as a sunscreen to humans in America. Also, the porous limestone skeletons of coral are now being tested as bone grafts in humans. More promising testing is being done on other reef organisms to generate chemicals for cancer and AIDS research. If used properly, the reefs of the entire world can better serve humans with medicine rather than with food. There have been many studies on how long the coral reefs will last, and they all agree that within fifty years, coral reefs existence will be cut in half. The studies also say that within one hundred years they could be completely destroyed. This should be a wakeup call to humans that we as a whole group have to do something about saving these coral reefs. If these reefs are destroyed it is thought that it might destroy the entire ecosystem of the ocean. There are over sixty-five countries that have designated some 300 parks that include coral reefs as natural habitats in the world. The problem is that less that 30% of the designated areas are fully protected. The fight is economical, not ecological. Such as Australia and the Caribbean who are making billions of dollars on their coral reefs. Everyone must work together to stop the pollution and the destruction of our coral reefs and our environment. It is not just one thing that is destroying the reefs, it is many factors together that are destroying it.

Global warming and ozone depletion are major contributors to destruction of the earth's coral reefs. Global warming is said to cause the effect of bleaching, as mentioned earlier. This bleaching has just started in the islands of Hawaii. The temperature of the water in Hawaii has said to have risen over two degrees in just one decade, which the scientists think soon will show effects in their ree

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Approximate Word count = 1469
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)