What Are Coral Reefs And What's Their Purpose?
Coral reefs in the Caribbean are slowly dying! It's estimated that ⅙ of the reefs will be dead in the next 20 years! What is the purpose of these reefs, and can this ...
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Coral reefs are like the rainforests of the sea, and like those here on land, they're being destroyed. But why should you care? Howdy friends under the sea, Trace here for DNews. When you picture coral you probably see it like THIS[a] right? But coral aren't just colorful rocks. Tiny living things live in there. Those "rocks" are actually the skeletons of polyps, which look like this[b]. Polyps constantly secrete calcium carbonate to build these protective skeletons. This is why people say coral reefs are living, not because the calcium structures are alive, but because the polyps live inside those structures -- like a turtle in a shell -- only popping out to feed or occasionally fight with one another. Coral are related to jellyfish, and sea anemones and are n...
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Coral reefs are like the rainforests of the sea, and like those here on land, they're being destroyed. But why should you care? Howdy friends under the sea, Trace here for DNews. When you picture coral you probably see it like THIS[a] right? But coral aren't just colorful rocks. Tiny living things live in there. Those "rocks" are actually the skeletons of polyps, which look like this[b]. Polyps constantly secrete calcium carbonate to build these protective skeletons. This is why people say coral reefs are living, not because the calcium structures are alive, but because the polyps live inside those structures -- like a turtle in a shell -- only popping out to feed or occasionally fight with one another. Coral are related to jellyfish, and sea anemones and are n...
