The reefs are made up of billions of tiny animals called polyps. Throughout history, the sea levels have gone up and down, because of the ice ages and other upheavals. Because of this, new reefs have formed, protecting what was left and growing back to keep the heads of the reefs and atolls where they should be. While the reefs are growing, the communities lock up greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, and then release it again when the coral decays. The coral reefs are a crucial part of the ecosystem on this planet, so the effects of the coral reef should be taken seriously.

Last year, ten percent of the world'

Coral reefs are facing many problems and if they are going to continue to survive on our planet, we need to start making their lives a little easier. Scientists have recently found evidence that shows that carbon dioxide harms coral reefs. The accumulation of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere is stunting the growth of coral reefs and represents a significant new threat to reef health. (Monastersky 1) Scientists would add extra amounts of carbon dioxide to an aquarium and wait to see results. What the scientists found was that the carbon dioxide slowed the growth of the coral. The carbon dioxide caused the coral and reef-building algae to secrete the mineral calcium carbonate - the skeleton of reefs - slower than it normally would in cleaner water. This kind of news will probably come as a surprise to many biologists because most have ignored how an increase in carbon dioxide levels can effect the nature of the reefs. The carbon dioxide pollution accumulates in the atmosphere; it then seeps into the upper ocean where it reacts with the water. The reaction increases the concentration of carbonated ions. Coral, clams and many other organisms build their shells by bringing carbonate ions together with calcium to form three different carbonates. Coral require a high concentration of carbonate ions and if too much carbon dioxide is coming in contact with the coral then the coral becomes very vulnerable.

The Gulf of Mexico has been a very popular site for tourism in the last twenty-five years, but it is also a popular site for coral. With the increase in population of this area coming so quickly, the coral have endured quite a shock. As population has increased, so has coastal runoff. Coastal runoff includes lawn fertilizers to sewage, which can spur the growth of macroalgae. Macroalgae looks like large red, brown and green plants that can grow so much that they can block the sun needed by zooanthellae, which eventually kills the coral and turning the once rainbow formations deathly white. When large seaweed proliferate, they can form underwater turf growing up to six inches high. Then what happens is the turfs can eventually overgrow and smother the coral reef. Coral reefs are the major economic engine in Mexico and other countries for the tourist industries. The reefs function as a natural barrier protecting beaches from erosion and storms, and serve as a nursery for fish that are beneficial to those areas. Like I said before, the coral is equivalent to an underwater rainforest. Studies have shown that coral may be a potential source of new medicines. (An

Some common words found in the essay are:
Richter Milius, , Gulf Mexico, Canal Raloff, Industrial Revolution, Florida Keys, Reef Australia, Caribbean Sea, Pacific Ocean, Barrier Reef, carbon dioxide, coral reefs, coral reef, barrier reef, growth coral, living coral, ten percent, percent world's, scientists found, increase algae,
Approximate Word count = 1748
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)