Why are Coral Reefs Important?

Beyond these vibrant, kaleidoscopic underwater skeletons, coral reefs are rather
complex ecosystems that shelter a diversity of marine life. These colonies hold much
value in sustaining life underwater and beyond. Here are several reasons why coral
reefs are deemed so.

Chiefly, coral reefs are to sea creatures as buildings are to humans. The Great
Barrier Reef, to be exact, is home to the world's largest cluster of reef structures, with
400 varieties of coral, 1500 species of fish, and 4000 types of mollusks. Habitats this
vast permit a large, diverse gene pool to sustain communities in times of unstable
environmental conditions. The greater species diversity, the lesser would be the
chances of one ceasing to exist.

Not only do coral reefs protect marine life, but they also protect mangrove
forests, seagrass beds, even life ashore. These natural barriers can reduce wave
energy by up to 97%, mitigating the threats of storm surges and tsunamis.

Coral reefs would also mean significant sources of food for world fisheries and
people who live near coastal areas. More than 500 million people across the globe
depend on reefs for food, livelihoods, and coastal defense.

Incidentally, economies as well rely upon coral reefs through tourism. Natural
attractions of the sort serve as hotspots for a number of recreational activities, such as
scuba diving and snorkeling. These remarkable ecosystems around the world generate
over $36 billion in tourism revenue annually.

The reasons mentioned above were enough to show the magnitude of these
beautiful and unique structures. So, it is crucial that we do our part in reducing our
impact on our earth's fragile ecosystem. Our care for coral reefs is just as important as
they are to us.
Sources:

Great barrier reef. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (n.d.).

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154/.

Why are coral reefs important? The Natural History Museum. (n.d.).
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/quick-questions/why-are-coral-reefs-
important.html.

Zanga, H., Boraski, A., Olendorf, A., Benjamin, M., Fantasia, H., McEwan, S., Marsh, J.,
Wydra, M., Trautmann, W., Michaeles, E., Ouellette, M., Fuhs, A., Tolles, A.,
Graham, S., Swain, M., Audibert, D., Larsen, S., Verville, E., Brodeur, T., ... &
Comeau, J. (n.d.). Importance of coral reefs. A Student's Guide to Tropical
Marine Biology. https://tropicalmarinebio.pressbooks.com/chapter/coral-reefs-as-
an-ecosystem/.