The Critical Role of Coral Reefs in Modern Society

 

Even though you may have never seen a coral reef in person you rely on these creatures for your survival. Humans need coral reefs and even though we are only beginning to understand the biology of these complex organisms we are changing the world in ways that threaten coral persistence. Below is a brief photo guide to a few of the ways we use and rely on coral reefs.

Corals are amazing animals. They are tiny, the size of your pinky nail but they live together in large colonies and create huge limestone reefs.

 

This is an individual coral polyp, thousands of coral individuals can make up coral colonies that build the foundation of reefs.

 

Coral colonies come in a variety of shapes and sizes that provide important habitat for many different creatures.

Reefs are like cities and the corals build the apartment buildings in these underwater cities. The reefs that the corals build are home for a huge variety of creatures including shrimp, crabs and fish.

 

 

 

Fish, shrimp and crabs among other animals found on coral reefs all provide food for millions of people around the world.

As coral colonies grow they create huge reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia that is 1,400 miles long and can be seen from space. The large size of reefs sometimes engineer habitats such as bays and low islands. Many Islands are the remnants of ancient coral reefs. The reefs that fringe these islands break up wave energy and provide protection from storms. This is especially important for the millions of people that live adjacent to the ocean who can be exposed to tsunamis and hurricanes/typhoons.When reefs have been degraded they no longer provide protection from coastal erosion.

 

All around the world people take vacations to see coral reefs.

 

Snorkeling and scuba diving generate millions of dollars for local economies. This type of sustainable income promises to help developing countries without exploiting their environmental resources.

 

It is important to study corals to ensure the persistence of these critical creatures.

Even though corals provide many additional services to humans many corals are threatened by development and climate change.