What are Coral Reefs?
Jagged Beauty
The jagged beauty of coral reefs are awe inspiring, with their wide range of colors and the incredible quantity of life they support. Approximately 25% of all marine life is supported in coral reefs, ranging from anemone to sharks. There are millions of species that rely on these sea structures. But what are they exactly?
What is a Coral Reef?
It starts with one small stony coral polyp, approximately .1” in diameter (the size of a small pin head). This stony coral will eventually secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton, creating a tiny piece of coral. When a colony of stony coral polyps (ranging in the millions) choose to settle on a limestone remains, they immediately begin to grow, but not to the naked eye.
$5.38 at Amazon–4 StarsCoral reefs grow .2-.8 inches per year, which is incredible considering the current size of reefs. In ideal conditions, lots of sunlight, consistent water temperature and little to moderate wave action, reefs can grow as much as 1.8 inches per year. Again, startling slow when the largest coral reef in existence is the Great Barrier Reef, made up of 900 individual reefs stretching over 1400 miles!
There are three different types of reefs: barrier, atoll and fringing.
Fringing reefs grow directly out from shore, providing a protective barrier around the coastline. When a fringing reef grows upward from a volcanic island that has sunk below the ocean’s surface, it creates an atoll. One defining characteristic of an atoll is the lagoon that forms in the center of the circular atoll. Similar to fringing reefs, a barrier reef grows just beyond the shoreline, which leads to deep expanses of lagoon between the shore and the reef.
Dangers of the Reef
While these incredible living structures are stunning and home to millions, they can be dangerous as well. The edges of coral reefs are often razor sharp and can even be poisonous, as is the case with fire coral. Divers who unexpectedly get thrown into coral by a powerful wave will not soon forget the painful experience. All coral injuries should receive medical treatment right away to prevent septic complications.
Sea anemones and sponges that grow on the reef can be deadly, with their thousands of stinging cells. The deceptively beautiful flowers of the anemone are a lure for many divers, but it is best to look and not touch. Sponges are sometimes harmful with systemic poisons, but they can also contain silica or glass in the sponge, leading to dangerous lacerations.
White stinging sea fern and jellyfish of many varieties are all dangerous and contact with them can lead to death. Sea urchins and so many more species can pose a danger to diver and reef tourists. The best advice anyone can give you is to research the area you will be visiting and take the necessary precautions to keep yourself from harm.
Great for Fishing?
The fish and other edible sea life that live around coral reefs are sought after by almost every fisherman. As you can imagine based on their structure, the size and height vary in any single reef, which makes fishing a little tricky. Always be sure to have the current size and depth of reefs as well as tidal charts before navigating the waters surrounding a reef. Bottom fishing can be the most successful method, but without these tools, you will find yourself clipping the bottom of your engine on the hard-as-rock reef.
On another note, one of the dangers to coral reefs is overfishing. The WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) have warnings on their sites against overfishing reefs, the dangers it poses, and how reefs are shrinking at alarming rates. So before you go fishing in the reef systems around the world, follow the guidelines and preserve the beauty of these natural wonders of the world.
by LA DiNardi
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