Sea bass flock to a tropical coral reef in the Red Sea.
Michael Lang/Smithsonian Institution
Coral reefs pulsate with colors and movement. They support more species per square meter than any other ocean ecosystem. Because of this phenomenal diversity, coral reefs have been called the rainforests of the sea.
The corals themselves form the basic reef structure. Tiny coral polyps leave behind limestone skeletons, which build up over the centuries…layer by layer. Abundant sunlight and warm water supply food for the sponges, algae, fishes, and thousands of other species who gradually move in.
Coral reefs that took millions of years to build have been disappearing within just decades as a result of human activities. It is up to us to help preserve those that remain.
The corals themselves form the basic reef structure. Tiny coral polyps leave behind limestone skeletons, which build up over the centuries…layer by layer. Abundant sunlight and warm water supply food for the sponges, algae, fishes, and thousands of other species who gradually move in.
Coral reefs that took millions of years to build have been disappearing within just decades as a result of human activities. It is up to us to help preserve those that remain.
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