Asian Diver – March 2018

Corals Around the World

ANATOMY OF A CORAL POLYP

Corals are animals called polyps. Polyps have a symbiotic

relationship with a photosynthetic marine algae called

zooxanthellae, which create energy from sunlight

Coral reefs are

home to 1/4 of all

fish and they are

an important

habitat for

juvenile fish

Scientists estimate

that there

may be another

1 TO 8 MILLION

UNDISCOVERED

SPECIES of

organisms living in

and around reefs

By one estimate, biodiversity

value accounts for

$

5.5 BILLION

of the total estimated annual

global net benefit of coral reefs

Coral reefs cover

LESS THAN ONE

QUARTER OF

1% of the marine

environment

Coral reefs

support more

than 800 hard

coral species and

more than 4,000

species of fish

Zooxanthellae

Nematocyst