![]() These miniscule plant cells live in the polyp’s tissue. Over millions of years, these polyps befriended a microscopic algae called Zooxanthellae (Zow-uh-zan-thel-ee). ![]() The polyps cover the skeleton in a translucent skin-like tissue. As they grow, they secrete calcium carbonate under and around themselves for protection.Ĭalcium carbonate is the white, chalk-like skeleton you see in many shapes on the ocean floor. These little polyps join together with other identical polyps - sometimes millions of them. Polyps are little sac-like creatures with a mouth and tentacles. See, what we think of as a coral is actually a colony of polyps. So why are they dying off so fast now? Before I dive into the challenges corals are facing, let’s answer a basic question: These animals - yes, they’re animals - have been around for millions of years. It includes small, medium, and large corals in shallow and deep water. ![]() Between 19, 50% of the corals on the Great Barrier Reef died.Īccording to Professor Terry Hughes of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, the 50% decline is widespread. Size and diversity of the reefs don’t protect them. The impact of such a loss will reverberate well beyond the corals themselves. The NOAA estimates that over 25% of all marine animals depend on coral reefs in some way during their life cycle. Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem on earth. It’s all the plants and animals that depend on them. It’s most of the corals in the world ocean.Īnd it’s not only the corals. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is at risk of disappearing by the end of the century.Īnd it’s not only the Great Barrier Reef at risk. From the tiny algae living in the corals’ tissue to the reef sharks patrolling the perimeters. They house an immensity of marine plant and animal life. The corals are the foundation of a massive ecosystem. It consists of nearly 3,000 individual coral reefs and more than 400 types of hard and soft corals. You can see the Reef from space stretching along the northeastern coast of Queensland. For perspective, Oregon is 98,379 square miles. The Reef spans 1,429 miles and covers more than 133,000 square miles. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living organism. What if I told you the world’s largest living organism is dying?īrace yourself. Did You Know 50% of the Great Barrier Reef Is Dead?
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