Coral reefs form barriers for coastlines, acting as a buffer from the waves and storms that come in from the open ocean. For many towns and cities, if coral reefs were no longer there, then they could find themselves battered and bruised by the incoming elements. They provide essential habitats One of the most well-known features of coral reef is the incredible diversity of life which it contains.
If the reef was to disappear, then so would the homes of over 1, species of fish, over species of sharks and ray, 30 species of whales and dolphins and 6 varieties of sea turtle. Medical research Over the years, scientists have used the study of coral reefs to develop new medicines to treat asthma, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer, amongst others. This has been achieved by isolating chemical compounds found within the reef and utilising them to help in the treatment of disease.
Scientists are also studying creatures like clams to examine the ageing process as well as other creatures to investigate their anti-viral and antibacterial properties. Purification of the water. Most corals are filter feeders, taking the impurities from the sea and leaving behind clear, healthier waters.
Without them, the seas would be a murky place, with sediment and particles clouding the environment. Absorption of carbon dioxide Coral reefs are living organisms, and they play a crucial role in our environment by recycling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
So, is there still hope for the Great Barrier Reef? People are making a determined effort to help, and there are things that you can do right at home. Because climate change is an important cause of damage to the reef, efforts to fight it matter. In , countries signed the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to work to reduce carbon emissions and taking other steps to address climate change. You can also make changes in your own life to use less energy, produce less waste, choose environmentally friendly products, and be informed.
You can even be a citizen scientist and collect data for scientists if you visit the reef. In a presentation, Dr. Even though they cover less than one percent of the sea floor, they harbor about a quarter of all marine biodiversity. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society. National Geographic Society. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher.
They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer.
If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website.
You cannot download interactives. Biodiversity refers to the variety of organisms found in a particular habitat. It is important to maintain biodiversity because we rely on it for ecosystem services, which fall into four main categories: provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. The earth provides these to us for free and they are critical to achieving a planet in balance. Use these resources to explore the diverse species that exist across the globe, and encourage your students to become good stewards of life on earth.
A reef is a ridge of material at or near the surface of the ocean. There are natural and artificial reefs. Corals are fascinating animals that form reefs. It is the sea country home for the first Australians — more than 70 Traditional Owner groups — whose connections to the marine environment date back more than 60, years. Today the Reef is a Marine Park and World Heritage Area, supporting a range of commercial activities and attracting millions of visitors each year who come to enjoy its beauty above and below the water.
The Great Barrier Reef is unique as it extends over 14 degrees of latitude, from shallow estuarine areas to deep oceanic waters. Within this vast expanse are a unique range of ecological communities, habitats and species — all of which make the Reef one of the most complex natural ecosystems in the world.
Some of these, such as turtles and crocodiles, have been around since prehistoric times and have changed little over the millennia. The breathtaking array of marine creatures includes types of soft and hard corals, more than species of jellyfish, varieties of molluscs, species of worms, types of fish, varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins.
0コメント