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Coral Reefs

This Science Minute was researched and written by Lowell J., Ithaca.

Do you know of a house that takes thousands of years to build? Coral Reefs house many fishes, worms, and other kinds of life underwater. They are formed from layers of skeletons of billions of tiny animals called coral polyps.

It takes years for a coral to grow an inch. Most present-day reefs have probably been growing for five thousand to ten thousand years. Corals grow only in tropical waters ideally between seventy and eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, such as the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Florida’s reefs.

Coral reefs protect coastal areas from storms, floods, and erosion. They cause a surfer’s "perfect wave," and contribute sand to the growth of beaches. Coral reefs are in danger because of certain things we do and use. When fertilizers, pesticides, and eroded soil wash out to sea when it rains, they cause physical damage to coral reefs. Pesticides can weaken the corals and make them easily get sick and die.

These colorful houses of underwater animals must be protected.