Coral reefs are among nature’s most spectacular creations. They are endowed with a multitude of colorful marine plants and animals and are among the most biologically divers and productive ecosystems on earth. Coral reefs have many functions:
DIVERSITY
Coral reefs offers shelter, feeding and nursery grounds for many marine animals and their young, sometimes they are called the “rainforests of the ocean”. Reefs are considered to have the highest biological diversity (biodiversity) of all shallow water marines ecosystems. Living coral reefs are alive and busy with all kinds of creatures such as fish, anemones, spongers, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms and algae.
PROTECTION
Coral reefs protect our coasts by acting as barriers against wave action. As waves reach the shallow waters of a reef, they break and lost most of their energy. Without the protection of coral reefs, our coast would erode at a higher rate. It also creates ideal conditions for other costal ecosystems e.g. lagoons, sea grass beds and mangroves.
TOURISM & RECREATIONAL VALUE
Reefs are places of great beauty. Healthy reefs are popular destinations for scuba diving, snorkelling and tourism, and boost the economies of many countries.
FISHERIES & NUTRITIONAL VALUE
For many costal communities, reefs are important sources of food and daily income. Coral reefs contain rich feeding grounds for mollusks, crabs, lobsters, fish and other edible species. Economies of many countries are boosted through the export of reef species. Reefs also provide life fish and invertebrates for the aquarium trade.
Coastal communities have for centuries exploited reef species for medicinal and health purposes. In Palau, a particular Surgeonfish is ground up and eaten for the treatment of a common illness of chancre sores and fever. Amongst coastal communities of the Gulf of Mannar in India, Certain reef fish rich in iron are used to treat anemia.
Some reef organisms contain important pharmaceutical properties. For instance, chemicals isolated from reef spongers have been used to develop drugs against herbs and certain types of cancers.
Some coral skeletons can be used as bone graft substitutes, as their structure is similar to human bone tissue. As the human body is less likely to reject a coral “bone”, these grafts are provide successful.
Sunlight contain ultraviolet (UV) light that can be damaging to coral reefs. However, corals contain pigments that protect them from these harmful UV rays. These pigments are used in the development of sunscreens for humans.
