Coral Reef
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 covering over 2,000 kilometers along the east coast of Australia. The reef is said to be 500,000 to 2,500,000 years old and is said to be visible from the moon. This is only one of the many coral reefs that are being exploited by the us today. Coral reefs should be preserved instead of being demoralized by the humans for their own benefits, who will inevitably destroy it. This is one of the major problems, which will eventually wipe out this bea
Last but not least, the reason why we should preserve these precious resources is because they are a living laboratory. Scientist has barely scratched the surface of the potential of these creatures. Corals are animals, not plants, sunlight is the key to their survival. They need it to power the millions of microscopic algae, called zooxanthellae that live in their tissues. The algae provide the corals with food and oxygen in return for raw materials and a secure place to live. This teamwork is what allows the reef to survive in nutrient-poor tropical seas. This relationship is sensitive to such changes in the environment as cloudy waters or extreme temperatures. The stress on the corals can cause them to expel their algae, an occurrence known as bleaching. With the algae gone, the coral skeleton is visible and eventually it dies. Died corals lead further on to the death of the reef. There are four environmental factors that effect their growth: temperature, salinity, water depth, and wave action. These factors expose the reef to changes in the environment very easily, especially since it is located so close to shore. This also makes it hard for all of the species, which use the coral reef to survive. Coral reefs are home to perhaps one-fourth of all marine species. This in turns effects the entire ecosystem of the ocean. Pollution by humans have directly or indirectly caused the death of 5%-10% of the world's living reefs, according to marine biologist Clive Wilkinson of the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Much greater factors on why we should sav
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Approximate Word count = 1060
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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