The spectacularly beautiful, gorgeously coloured and ecologically sensitive coral reefs, which constitute a vital component of the marine environment, are now facing a serious threat to their very existencce due to a variety of factors. As marine biology researchers point out, coral reefs, as they were known 50 years ago, will not be found anywhere on earth by the middle of this century.
For one, global warming is known to be taking a heavy toll of coral reefs which provide a habitat to a variety of marine organisms. These organisms depend on coral reefs for food and shelter. Corals have also a symbiotic relationship with an algal species by name zooxanthella. This plant like algae lives inside coral polyps and carry out photosynthesis, the process through which plants produce their food. The food so produced is shared with the corals, highlighting the symbiotic relationship of marine organisms.
In exchange, the coral....
