Photo courtesy of: © Andrew Jalbert
Excerpts;
All the coral reefs in the world together occupy less than one percent of the ocean seafloor—a tiny area of the global ocean. Yet 25 percent all ocean species—an estimated 9 million species—are found on coral reefs. They really are the biodiversity centers of our oceans. In addition, 25 percent of all the fish consumed by humans on this planet come from coral reefs.
Beyond tourism and food, coral reefs are barriers that protect coastlines from sea-level rise and storm surges. It is estimated that coral reefs provide about $375 billion to the global economy each year…
