8 August – Hindu

Corals
Marine invertebrates or animals - do not possess a spine
Thousands of such polyps live together to form a colony

Features:
 Corals live with algae (zooxanthellae) - symbiosis.
• Corals provide a tough outer shell - calcium carbonate.
• Algae provide their host with food - photosynthesis.
• Zooxanthellae provide corals with their striking colours.

Hermatype/ Hard corals/Reef building corals

- Responsible Coral
- House building all life
- Time consumed in building house so does not have time to make food –
outsourcing
- Photic , warm water, clear water, ideal salinity
- Found only in continental shelf/margin
Example:1. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the largest Reef system- 2300km
2. Coral Triangle: Phillipines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea
Coral cover is measured by increase in cover of hard corals

Ahermatype/Soft Coral/Deep Water coral

- Awara Coral
- Neither builds reef nor prepares food
- Collects food from flowing water
- Cold water, Aphotic, least researched
- Found in deep oceans everywhere
Example: Black corals
What is the News?
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) - annual long-term monitoring
report
• Highest levels of coral cover recorded in northern and central parts of
Australia’s GBR.
• Within the past 36 years.
Researchers have warned that this can be quickly reversed owing to rise in
global temperatures.

What is The Danger?

1. Last couple of decades - climate change-induced rise in temperature
made seas warmer than usual
2. From sand Mining- Turbid waters
3. Sunscreen harms corals
Coral Bleaching
1. zooxanthellae start producing reactive oxygen species
2. Corals kick out the colour-giving algae from their polyps.
3. Exposes their pale white exoskeleton.
4. Coral starvation.
Mass coral bleaches
• 2002, 2014 to 2017 - Longest and most damaging bleaching.
• 2020, 2022