The fabulous beauty of a coral reef, or What is coral

The beauty of the underwater world beckons to itself by the unusual forms and the exoticism of the colors of the inhabitants and plants. Coral reefs can be compared to a fairy tale full of delicious treasures and fantastic characters. Often they are compared to a garden filled with bright flowers, but instead of songbirds there are small fishes that have unusual shapes for the human eye and are decorated with such drawings as you rarely see on land. Corals of bright colors - from bright pink and shimmering aquamarine to deep black - attract unusual shapes and resistance to the destructive power of the ocean. Black coral is one of the most fragile and due to increased human interest, one of the endangered species. In the scientific world, it is commonly believed that this strange beauty beautifies the Earth for more than 500 million years.

Nature of coral reefs

With a detailed consideration of the question "what is coral" you can find information that this term denotes a living organism - a polyp, and then a cementing substance, to which it excretes, in appearance resembling a plant. Polyps belong to the same class as jellyfish - coelenterates, feed on plankton and live throughout the world's oceans. However, they have the ability to build enormous reefs in forms and sizes only in tropical waters, where the temperature does not drop below 20 ° C. Corals of the sea lead an immobile way of life, becoming fixed in one place and allocating in the process of life from sea water their main building material of the outer skeleton - calcium carbonate.

Unusual coral species

What is a coral called a "sea fan"? When immersed in deep-sea reefs, you can see soft corals, which set in motion marine currents. The polyps, which form them, build around them not rocky, but flexible skeletons. Sometimes in form they can form a fan, a mustache resembling a snake or, growing taller than a human, whips. At their tips are tentacles, which, opening up, absorb food for all members of a living colony.

Another unusual type of coral is tubular and cup-shaped. It is he who creates the impression of a flowering garden on the seabed. Multicolored "panicles for dust" form polyps, the number of tentacles which is a multiple of eight. They have a large number of stinging cells.

Types of coral reefs

One of the most famous, due to its size and complexity of the building, the coral reef is in the north-east of Australia. It is a barrier species, that is, it is located at a considerable distance (sometimes several dozen kilometers) from the coast. Between them is a lagoon, usually having a great depth. Often there are reefs bordering the species. They are located directly along the coast in shallow water. In the open space of the ocean you can find coral reefs of ring-shaped formation - atolls. They are of volcanic origin and can turn into flowering islands.

Animal world of coral reefs

Living in coral reef organisms in their livelihoods are closely interconnected, form a complex ecosystem. Most of its elements are so dependent on each other that they can not exist outside their home, as well as the coral reef itself. What is coral without oxygen, carbohydrates, permanent purification from waste products? It is no longer a living organism. This is involved in algae, which live in one of the layers of polyps.

What is coral for the inhabitants of the ocean? Around the reef there are more than 1500 species of different in size and shape of fish. A favorable habitat here and for several species of whales. Most species of sea turtles prefer to breed their offspring on coral islands , choosing them as the safest place. A variety of seabirds also favored food for their livelihood.