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TOP 5 REASONS

WHY CORAL

COMMUNITIES ARE...

Dying Flourishing

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OVERFISHING

The killing of too many plant-

feeding fish leads to overgrowth

of plants, which smother corals,

threatening their survival

SEWAGE AND

INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

Cuts out sunlight, giving rise to

germs and disease; poisons

corals directly, killing them

off quickly

SEDIMENT

DISTURBANCES

Corals covered with sediment will

succumb swiftly to tissue loss

and death; Fungiid corals can

actively shed sediment buildup

by inflating and deflating rapidly

DREDGING

Dredging-generated sediments

smother corals

CLIMATE CHANGE

Overly warm waters cause

coral bleaching, making them

susceptible to disease, which

can lead to large-scale reef die-

off; stronger storms harm coral

reefs, translating into less time for

sensitive habitats to recover

APPROPRIATE DEPTHS

Relatively shallow (<27

metres), clear waters, allowing

photosynthesis; deep-sea corals

flourish in dark waters at 6,000

metres

NARROW RANGE OF

TEMPERATURES

Tropical and subtropical waters

between 20 and 30°C; deep-sea

corals survive without sunlight

on underwater peaks called

seamounts

STABLE CARBON

DIOXIDE LEVELS

Increasing carbon dioxide

levels changes water chemistry,

preventing corals from building

their skeletons; also slows down

growth and rate of regeneration

STABLE WATER

CONDITIONS

Require salinity between 34 and

37 parts per 1,000; they do well

away from freshwater run-off

MINIMAL HUMAN

INTERFERENCE

Need we say more?