Introduction: 

Have you ever gone snorkeling over a reef?  If you have, you may have noticed many different organisms laying on the reef structure.  These organisms come in many colors; some look like fans while others look like horns.  You probably already know what these are— corals.  However, there is much more to them then just their appearances.

What is Coral?

Contrary to common wisdom, corals are not plants, but colonies of microscopic animals inhabited by even smaller algae (Zooxanthellae).  Corals, as a collective group, have existed for over five hundred million years, with more modern species having appeared between twenty to twenty-five million years ago.  In present day, there are over six thousand known species of coral which can be found at depths as shallow as ten feet to depths as deep as ten thousand feet below the surface.  Corals are some of the most important organisms in the oceans who play many roles in maintaining the health of the ecosystem.

What Environments Do Corals Inhabit?

For hundreds of millions of years, corals of all kinds have thrived in tropical seas all around the globe. (Corals tend to tolerate water temperatures from 78-84 degrees Fahrenheit the best).  These waters include the coast of Miami and the rest of South Florida.  In fact, South Florida has one the largest barriers in the world, stretching from Miami to the Dry Tortugas (350 linear miles).  Most coral species live at depths between thirty to one hundred and fifty feet where there is a great amount of sunlight. However, other species of corals can live at depths of two hundred feet or more.  Corals also tend to be healthier in environments with high populations of other marine life like fish or crustaceans.  Many of these species prevent the spread of disease and keep the corals free of parasites and algae.

What Purpose Do Corals Serve?

Corals play many separate roles in their environment, from providing structure to removing carbon dioxide.  On a reef, corals take up many different shapes and structures, which are important in many ways.  These structures provide shelter for fish and other marine life, they protect the reef from damage during extreme weather events like hurricanes, they provide food for the reef, and they act as a barrier for the mainland.

“They are a keystone species.  They are vital to the entire reef ecosystem.  They provide food and create habitats for the reef,” stated Mr. John Ierardi; who has six years of diving experience and is a certified dive master.

“They provide large amounts of oxygen we need to breath; they remove c02 contributing to climate change, and they keep a well-balanced ecosystem which we depend on,” he added.

How Do Corals Benefit Humans?

The state of Florida is the perfect example of how vital coral reefs are for people.  Healthy coral reefs are vital to keeping populations of fish and marine life healthy.

“Coral reefs are a source of food, especially for communities living in close proximity to them.  They support jobs in fishing and tourism,” stated Dr. Rebecca Shaw, who has experience in studying ocean ecosystems and teaches marine science.

In fact, Florida’s coral reefs alone support over 71,000 jobs and generate 3-8.5 billion dollars annually.  Another way coral reefs are crucial to people is that they act as barriers against natural disasters like hurricanes.  Coral reefs around the tropics act as a barrier against strong waves and currents caused by natural disasters.  Reefs can reduce wave height and power by up to 70%.  Having healthy reefs off the coasts can minimize erosion and damage caused by natural disasters.

Corals Under Threat

Despite being crucial to the health of the world’s oceans, corals are one of the most threatened forms of marine life in the world.  Threats range from habitat destruction caused by human activity to overfishing which depletes many marine populations critical to coral survival.

However, by far the greatest threat to corals around the world is human-driven climate change.  Ocean temperatures around the world are rising at rapid rates, while also exceeding water temperatures that corals can tolerate.  Many coral species are used to extremely specific water temperatures, and even waters rising a degree or two Celsius can be heavily damaging for corals.  When corals are in waters which are too warm for them, they expel the algae which lives inside of them in a process called bleaching.

A bleached coral can recover if the water surface returns to the coral’s desired temperature.  However, bleached corals become weaker to disease later during their lives. Over half of the world’s coral reefs have perished since the 1950’s, and many more could be gone over the next few decades.

Corals are vital not just to the ecosystems they inhabit, but also to the survival of people who live near the coastlines.  If they perish, not only will ecosystems die out, but Florida, the Caribbean, the Indo-Pacific, and anywhere else depending on corals will suffer major consequences.

Ways to Protect Coral Reefs

Wear Reef Safe sunscreen

Don’t touch or snatch wild coral