Creatures Of The Coral Reef

The world of coral reefs contains one of the most diverse environments on our planet

, supporting more species per square meter than any other ocean ecosystem. Because of this phenomenal diversity, coral reefs are sometimes called the rainforests of the sea. From the microscopic to the gigantic, coral reefs support and nurture a tremendous variety of marine creatures.

These reef systems have been built up over thousands of years by tiny calcium-producing organisms. The reefs are a haven for countless forms of marine life, some of which seem totally alien in form. It is a "Star Wars" world of bright colors, ever changing patterns and odd shaped creatures that look as though they came directly from central casting. Only on the coral reef can one find living examples from nearly every group of organisms.

Scuba Diving on a coral reef gives you some idea about what it would be like to explore another planet. Drifting weightless across this diverse landscape enables you to appreciate some of the tremendous complexity and simplicity that makes up the coral reef. Man has spent a relatively modest effort scientifically exploring the world's oceans compared to the time and money that has gone into exploring the surface of the Moon and other planets. Yet, the growing and ongoing exploration of our oceans continues to bring the discovery of new species, the identification of different environments where marine life flourishes and a little more understanding of our underwater world. It is a place of never-ending wonders.

The world of the coral reef is also an extremely fragile environment, and it is under considerable pressure and facing real dangers to its continued existence. The distress and destruction of coral reefs has a noticeable impact on our lives from the foods we eat to the air we breathe. From the Florida Keys to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, to the atolls of the Pacific and islands of the Indian Ocean our coral reefs need our help. If we wish to leave a healthy and thriving reef system to our children and their children we need to understand the threats to this amazing environment and understand actions that can be taken to preserve and restore our reefs. These are our oceans and the first step to helping protect coral reefs is education.

This segment provides a high-level overview of the basic types of creatures found on the coral reefs, including:

Sponges Corals and Anemones Sea Worms

Echinoderms

Crustaceans

Mollusks

Fishes

Sharks and Rays

Marine Reptiles

Marine Mammals

Come join us as we "dive into" this amazing and mysterious world.

Visit my website or my blog for more information. The pool is open.....

by: swsmeltzer

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