Corals are a miracle of nature because they can be regarded as a unique creation that is an animal, a plant and a rock altogether! Stony corals have skeletons and they build reefs, while the second type of corals - soft corals -- have no bones. Actually, corals are not a single animal but colonies of polyps, which are very small animals with a mouth, a body sac, and tentacles. Within the body of the polyp a microscopic algae (plant) co-exists in symbiosis the coral supplies the algae with carbon dioxide and nutrients, which the algae uses for photosynthesis and produces carbohydrates and oxygen that the coral uses for nutrition and respiration. Part of this energy goes to building a protective skeleton, and thus the coral resembles a rock - a coral reef. The process of accumulating mass is very slow and generally corals grow only about half an inch a year. What is worse is that human activities, and most forms of water pollution, have a negative effect on the development of coral colonies. Corals live deep in warm seas. Different varieties of corals live around Japan, Taiwan, the Malayan Archipelago, Australia and the Canary Islands, in the Red Sea and in the Mediterranean. In many of these places, coral reefs are popular tourist attractions. Corals come in different colors and it is their beauty that has made them a favorite material in jewelry. But corals are not only beautiful they contain many useful substances and are also used in the pharmaceutical industry. Since corals are so fragile and delicate, it is no wonder that in many countries they are a protected species, because only by caring for them can they be preserved for future generations. |
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