What do coral reefs look like? Diving lovers are accommodated in hotels. Major threats to coral reefs

Coral belongs to the same group of animals as jellyfish. Their bone remains form beautiful structures in warm tropical and subtropical seas. Coral reefs. The largest in the world coral formation The Great Barrier Reef is the most famous attraction in Queensland, Australia. Mexico has the second largest barrier reef in the world. mesoamerican reef starting at the Yucatan. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, Fiji's coral coast has the third largest reef, in the form of a coral barrier, surrounding the country's largest island, Viti Levu.

Australia

The Great Barrier Reef stretches 1,800 miles along the Australian coast. Scientists believe that its age is about 30 million years. Heron Island is one of the bases convenient for reef research.
If you decide to go diving here, you will most likely encounter dangers. marine life, such as, for example, a man-eating shark. However, there are many places where diving and swimming in beautiful gardens underwater paradise are safe.

On Heron Island, it would be better to admire the magnificent coral reefs from a boat equipped with a glass bottom. It will take your breath away looking at the many colorful and exquisite formations. You will see not only red, white and pink corals, but also green, lavender and blue. Combined with marine life such as tropical fish, shellfish, sponges, dolphins and turtles, the spectacle is truly breathtaking.

Coral reefs in Mexico - the oldest country on Earth

The Mesoamerican reef, with over 100 species of soft and hard corals, is almost 750 miles of coral gardens with a barrier fringing them. Water caribbean warm and transparent and beckoning divers and snorkelers to marvel at the marvelous coral and marine life.

The city of Cancun, Isla Mujeres, has a large lagoon that is a protected marine park. Nearby is the Sleeping Shark Cave, where you can see somnambulistic sharks. The most colorful reef of Cozumel - Cedar Pass, perfect place for diving divers, filled with marine life such as turtles, barracudas and eels. The other one, Palansar Reef (also in Cozumel), is a real coral garden striking colors, with underwater caves and corridors.

Republic of the Fiji Islands

Fiji is called the capital of delicate corals. The best coral reef is Namena marine reserve. Jean-Michel Cousteau described this reef as the best dive site in the world. Consisting of 400 corals, this reef is home to a variety of marine life including dolphins and various whales. The two best attractions (respectively, two places to dive) here are the wall known as Grand Central Station ("Grand Central Station"), and the turrets called Chimneys ("Chimneys").

let's talk about corals - ancient creatures on Earth and some of the most beautiful marine life.

Great Barrier Reef- the largest population of coral polyps that formed a reef system with a length of more than 2600 kilometers. The reef is located along north coast Australia. The Great Barrier Reef has over 2,900 independent reefs and 900 coral islands.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. About 400 species of corals, 1,500 species of fish and a variety of other animals and plants have been found here.

UNESCO has listed the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site. (Photo by Nicole Duplaix):

Corals are the flowers of the sea. These corals from the Philippines really look like flowers. (Photo by Tim Laman):

Corals are unusual marine animals, representatives of the coelenterates - one of the most primitive types of living creatures on Earth. This is one of the oldest groups of multicellular organisms on Earth, they have existed for many millions of years. Corals are unusual in that they have the ability to form a strong calcareous skeleton that persists after the death of the animal and contributes to the formation of atolls and reefs.

It grows up to 30 cm. It often lives at the entrance to underwater caves, on great depths ah, up to 30 meters. (Photo by Heather Perry):

Corals live in tropical and subtropical sea ​​waters and live in water with a temperature of at least 21 degrees Celsius. Corals come in different colors (pink, red, blue, white, black), their color depends on the composition and amount of organic compounds. More than 2500 varieties of corals are known. (Photo by Tim Laman):

Red corals are called "blood foam", "flower of blood", black - "royal corals". Pink, red and black corals are considered the most valuable. The coral reef is a kind of magnet, attracting crabs, lobsters, mollusks, fish and scuba divers for various reasons. (Photo by Heather Perry):

. (Photo by Tim Laman):

(Photo by Tim Laman):

In the Cayman Islands. Coral reefs are calcareous geological structures formed by coral polyps and some types of algae. total area coral reefs in the world exceeds 27 million km². They are located mainly in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. About 1/3 of the world's coral reefs have already been destroyed. With the current trend, some reefs will be destroyed by 2030. (Photo by Raul Touzon):

IN papua new guinea. The word "coral" in our mind is always associated with something solid. , fragile. However, there are also soft corals, which, as the name suggests, lack a solid, hard skeleton. Soft corals can take quite large areas on the reef. Many species of soft corals shrink into shapeless clumps during the day, only to spread out at dusk. Therefore, their exquisite beauty can only be fully appreciated during a night dive. (Photo by Wolcott Henry):

Alcyonaria or soft corals- the most numerous order of eight-pointed corals. They are widely distributed in the seas and oceans, occurring from the polar regions to the equator and from the littoral to great depths. (Photo by Wolcott Henry):

in New Zealand. They create an underwater forest for colorful reef fish and can live for 300 years. (Photo by Brian Skerry):

Corals in the National park Komodo, which is located in the center of the Indonesian archipelago, and is an object world heritage UNESCO:

And clown fish

Named in honor of Medusa Gorgon:

Green acropora tenuis coral:

Another representatives soft corals:

Soft violet coral:

bright red soft coral:

The Catlin Seaview Survey is studying the health of coral reefs and their impact on global warming. As part of this project, these amazing pictures coral reefs and their inhabitants.

(Total 28 photos)

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2. Warming waters, sea acidification and increasing storms are all bad for the health of coral reefs. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

3. Using a custom-designed 360-degree camera, teams of divers from the Catlin Seaview Survey create graphical data that will help scientists map the health of reefs and catalog their species. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

4. Great camera, isn't it? (Catlin Seaview Survey)

5. And at depth, divers will use these robots ... (Catlin Seaview Survey)

6. These robots can be controlled from a boat on the surface of the water. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

7. Thanks to these images, not only scientists, but also us mere mortals can now admire the beauty of coral reefs in the Virtual Dive program. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

8. This unique and innovative program gives us the opportunity to dive in and see what scientists see. You can "sail" yourself wherever you want, using the mouse and keyboard of your computer. And all this with the help of Google Street View. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

9. A team of scientists will collect data from the Great Barrier Reef until the end of December. The global report will take about three years to complete and will cover many of the world's coral reefs. The next study is planned to take place in the Philippines. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

10. "Christmas" worms. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

11. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

12. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

14. And take off each other - for a new avatar! (Catlin Seaview Survey)

15. Panorama of Heron Island. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

16. Apo Island in the Philippines. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

17. A team of divers to explore reefs at depth. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

18. And this is a camera for studying reefs in shallow water. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

19. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

20. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

21. In company with a stingray in the waters off Heron Island. (Catlin Seaview Survey)

There are many lists advertising the seven wonders. ancient world, new world, various countries and continents, but no list has yet been created for the seven wonders underwater world. In 1989 CEDAM International, an international association of divers, decided to create their own ranking describing the world's most breathtaking underwater locations. This article is waiting for you fascinating excursion on the seas, lakes and oceans, offering a virtual acquaintance with the 7 wonders of the underwater world.

1. Galapagos Islands: Located in pacific ocean, west of Ecuador, Galapagos Islands rose from the earth's crust from an ocean volcano at the bottom of the ocean. The relatively new volcanic geology has created a habitat rich in flora, fauna and animal life that has been studied and admired by numerous travelers, scientists and nature lovers from every continent.

Coral reefs are the largest and most magnificent living structures on our planet, the greatest reservoirs of biological formations. Although today, unfortunately, they are under the threat of extinction. Scientists have calculated that if immediate measures are not taken to correct the situation, then we risk losing up to 70% of all coral reefs by 2050.

Let's hope that people still manage to save our oceans, including coral reefs, in the form that they are today, and our descendants will be able to admire their splendor not only from pictures in books, but also live.

We invite you to take a look at our selection of coral reefs, which are considered the most beautiful and fantastic on Earth.

Coral reefs of the Red Sea

More than 260 live in the Red Sea various kinds stony corals and over 1100 species of fish. This sea is located between the Sahara and the Arabian deserts. The Red Sea coral reef is over 1200 miles long. Its age exceeds 5000 years. They began to emerge during the reign of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Coral reefs Florida Keys

The shallow waters of the Florida Keys provide ideal conditions for creating beautiful coral reefs. These corals were formed by warm tropical climate under the influence of waves. There is a lot of plankton here, which is necessary for the survival of various types of living creatures. Unfortunately, these reefs are on the verge of extinction and, according to some sources, by 2020 they may completely die.

Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

The Caribbean Sea is home to many varieties of fish and rare animals. It borders one of the largest and most beautiful coral reefs in the world. Its size is approximately 943 kilometers. This reef is also under threat from changes in sea levels and ocean chemistry.

For many years, in the area of ​​​​the Philippine Apo coral reef, there was an active fishery for catching all living things, including the use of incendiary substances. As a result, a third of the coral reef has completely disappeared. The Philippine government has decided to ban fishing in an area of ​​170 square miles off the coast of Mindoro Island. Today Apo Reef is national park and protected area.

Andros in the Bahamas is considered one of the longest barrier reefs in the world (its length is more than 140 miles). Divers have the opportunity to explore many interesting areas within these reefs. Andros Island, near which this reef is located, is located along the edge of the crevice of the ocean, which is called the Tongue of the Ocean.

Maldives Chagos-Lakshadvil Atolls

This structure is a chain of coral reefs that is 280 km long. These reefs are located along the coast of Belize, approximately 300 meters from the coast in the northern part and 40 kilometers in the southern limits of the country. The Belize Barrier Reef is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is one of the largest reefs in the world (2nd after the Great Barrier Reef).

The very name "Raja Ampat" means "4 kings". Four major islands Batanta, Misuul, Salwati and Waigeo, which are connected to hundreds of smaller islands, surround these coral reefs. This Indonesian coral reef is rich in animal world. There are more than 1,500 species of fish, about 700 species of molluscs and over 500 species of stony corals.

Barrier reef of New Caledonia

This is the third largest coral reef and is also considered one of the most magnificent in the world. It is here that the endangered dugong lives, and green turtles also lay their eggs. The place near the reef is famous for its clearest waters. The lagoons of this barrier reef are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

This reef extends for approximately 130,000 square miles. This is more than the United Kingdom. The Great Barrier Reef is arguably the largest coral reef in the world. Moreover, it is even the largest object created naturally from living organisms. It is considered one of the seven world wonders.

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