Coral reefs & their

importance

Sonia Benjamin
 What are Corals & Coral animal?
• Coral polyps are tiny, soft-bodied organisms related to sea
anemones and jellyfish.

• Possess Zooxanthellae.

• Size range from 0.5-20 mm. Except Mushroom coral 30-40cm.

• Till now 800 species of corals are known around the world

• 18 families in the world, 15 in India

• 111 genera, 60 in India

• 793 species in the world, 208+ in India

 Factors for coral growth

• Substratum: rocks, coral stones molluscan shells

• Depth: 60mts, 1000-2000mts

• Salinity: 35 ◦C

• Temperature : 20-35◦C, 10◦C,

 Classification

 Kingdom: Animalia

Phyllum: Cnidaria

 Class: Anthozoa
Anatomy
 Types of Corals

Depth Structure Zooxanthellae

 Warm  Hard corals Hermatypic

 Cold  Soft corals Ahermatypic
 Staghorn coral

Brain coral
 Carnation Coral

Tree Coral
 Types of coral reefs
1. Fringing reefs:
• Found near the coastline, edge of the shore

2. Barrier reefs:
• Gap between the shoreline and reef i.e lagoon.

3. Atoll:
• Place once occupied by an island and then becomes
the lagoon.
 Reproduction

Asexual Sexual

1. Budding 1. Gonochorism

2. Hermaphrodric
2. Fragmentation

3. Polyp bailout

4. Parthenogenesis
 Diseases
• Black Band disease (BBD)
Invasion of coral tissue by a cyanobacterium,
Phormidium corallyticum.

• White Band disease (WBD)

• Bleaching:
Loss of Zooxanthellae
 Distribution of corals In India
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Lakshadweep

Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu

Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat

 Distribution of total number of families, genera and species
of corals in India

Andaman Lakshad Gulf of Gulf of Total

and weep Mannar Kutch
Nicobar
Islands
Families 15 12 13 8 15

Genera 57 34 27 20 60

Species 177 91 82 36 208

Types of Fringing Atolls Fringing Fringing

Reefs

K. Ventakraman.
 Threats
Sedimentation
Coral mining
Coral diseases
Coral bleaching
Over collection of corals
 Unregulated Tourism
Outbreak of crown of thorns starfish
Climate change
Ocean acidification
Over fishing
Bioerosion
 Importance
 Schedule I species according to Indian Wildlife Act 1972.
 Biologically Productive ecosystems
 Reservoirs CO2
 Indicator of past climate change
 Habitat for a variety of life forms
 Food
 Protection
 Prevents soil erosion
 Revenue generator
 Tourism
 References
• Charles Birkeland. (1997). Life and Death of Coral Reefs,
527p.

• Peter Castro (2008). Marine Biology, 449p.

• Wafar, M. & Wafar,S. (2001). 101 questions on corals:

Towards awareness, NIO 71p.

• K. Venkataraman. Coral reefs in India, NBA, 12p.

• Geeta Nambiar. (2015). Corals in Gujarat- A review,

International Journal of Applied And Pure Science and
Agriculture, 65-73.