Коралловые рифы — это очень красивые живые известковые структуры в некоторых областях океана, которые являются домом для многих обитателей океана. Кораллы растут сотни и даже тысячи лет, они могут рассказать ученым о прошлом нашей планеты. Настоящее их печально, так как они гибнут из-за органических соединений, все больше наполняющих океан.
Coral reefs (Коралловые рифы)
Their bright vivid colours can be seen in tropical ocean waters around the globe. Beyond their brilliant appearance lies a hidden significance.
Coral are animals (кораллы -это животные).
Though they may look like colourful plants, corals are in fact made up of tiny animals called polyps. These invertebrates can range from the size of a pinhead to a bit larger than a basketball. Each polyp consists of a soft sac-like body, topped by a mouth covered in stinging tentacles. To protect their soft bodies and add support, the polyps secrete limestone skeletons.
Corals are mega builders (кораллы — мегастроители)
Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth (Коралловые рифы являются одними из самых разнообразных экосистем на Земле)
Though they cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine creatures. It’s been estimated that up to 2 million species inhabit coral reefs, rivalling the biodiversity of the rainforest. The reefs provide rich habitats that help protect young fish as they grow.
Coral are translucent — Кораллы полупрозрачны.
Coral reefs get their rainbow of colours from algae or zooxanthellae that live in their tissue. The corals use their tentacles to capture some food. Most of their food comes from the algae they house. When Coral become stress by pollution or other factors, they evict their algae. Coral bleaching results revealing corals white skeletons.
Coral provide a window to the past (кораллы предоставляет окно в прошлое)
As corals grow, their limestone skeletons form layers, similar to tree rings that vary in composition and thickness based on ocean conditions at the time. With some coral reefs growing for thousands or even millions of years scientists can study these layers to reveal what the earth’s climate may have been like in the ancient past.
Unfortunately, climate changes putting corals future in danger along with the millions of species that inhabit the reefs and a half billion people that rely on reef fish for food. Warming waters result in prolonged coral bleaching that kills coral reefs or leave them vulnerable to other threats. Without significant action on climate change, our oceans could lose many of their colourful coral reefs by the end of the century.