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Description Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the oceans. In many ways they are. They represent the most extensive, bio-diverse and intertwined ecosystems below sea level. They are extremely diverse, most living with the tropics, but new ones have been discovered in much colder northern latitudes and some living in much deeper water than previously thought possible. Coral reefs are often the focus of human destruction, especially in poorer countries. Global warming and rising sea levels are causing the deaths of corals around the globe. Corals are symbiotic animals that depend on specialized algae that live on the corals. Corals protect the algae, and algae produce nutrients that feed the coral. Rising sea temperatures are killing the algae, thus causing bleaching, where the coral is left on its own, and dies as a result. Humans also accelerate erosion on land, which washes out to sea, and buries nearby coral reefs. Humans unfortunately also gather food by dynamiting the coral and gathering the fish that float to the surface. Coral grows very slowly, so recovering from any of these adversities takes a long time. Poorer countries typically follow these detrimental methods, which are short-term solutions to sustenance and worsen their own plight in the long run.
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