Corals there are about five thousand species. And each species is wonderful in its own way. They live in colonies and separately, in shallow and deep waters, in the tropics and in harsh arctic waters. They build islands and are home to a quarter of the world's oceans' biodiversity. These are corals. It was they who created that amazing and beautiful world that they never cease to admire. This coral kingdom amazes the imagination with its fantastic, wild beauty.

The most ambitious structure created by corals is the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for 2000 kilometers in front of the north-eastern coast of Australia. In these tropical waters, where the temperature never drops below 21 degrees, tens of thousands of years live, grow, die, year after year depositing new layers on top of the previous ones, billions and billions of tiny creatures. These are corals.

Behind the Barrier Reef lies a lagoon. With numerous islands - large and small, each with its own world. And on the Barrier Reef itself, the Pacific Ocean sometimes unleashes all its unbridled power, throwing gigantic waves, thousands, hundreds of thousands of tons of water onto the reefs. This water carries sand from the reefs and carries it away with its current. As it settles day after day, year after year, this sand forms coral deposits - new islands with fine white sand. If the wind also carries the seeds of some plants onto such an island, then vegetation may appear on it, which will protect the island from erosion. And then this island is guaranteed a long life. Birds will fly in, turtles will swim, and other inhabitants will appear.

But where did this white sand come from? After all, the limestone coral skeletons that form the reef are not at all like sand. Of course, the ocean waves do their job. But not only them. A very curious fish lives in the coral thickets. It is called parrot fish. She feeds on corals. Her powerful jaws and teeth allow her to easily bite off polyps along with their skeletons. The skeleton of the polyp is ground into sand and removed from the body. Well, the polyp itself is safely digested. In a year, one such fish passes through itself 150 kg of corals. But this is only one fish! And there are hundreds of thousands, millions of them here. Here is the answer to the finest snow-white sand.

The entire life of corals is subject to a strict routine. They usually sleep during the day and hunt at night. And giant colonies of polyps bloom in fantastic colors, tentacles are released, which pick up plankton, and, if successful, then larger prey - a crustacean, a shrimp, or even a small, gape fish, if it does not have a protective covering from the stinging tentacles. Corals live in huge colonies. Often representatives of several species coexist peacefully nearby. Often, but not always.

It happens that one coral colony gets too close to another. And then the real battle for territory begins. They release thousands of stinging cells, “shooting” each other. The war is serious. It can last for quite a long time until one of the colonies gives in. The coral with the most stinging cells wins. And if these cells are also stronger, then this colony has a much greater chance of winning. Many such battles take place on the reef every night. And there is, albeit imperceptibly, a change in the relief. And so on for many centuries.

In some places, corals are quite close to the surface of the ocean. And this is fraught with another danger. The cycle of ebb and flow is repeated twice a day. During low tides, the water leaves and then many corals find themselves in the air, outside their usual habitat. If we add tropical sun to this, we can assume that the corals will die.
But no. Over many centuries of struggle for life, these creatures have adapted to such a change in environment. Once in the air, the polyps begin to release mucus, which envelops the coral and prevents it from drying out. The colony, which covers an area the size of a chessboard, can release up to five liters of this mucus. This mucus, like sunscreen, protects the delicate body of the polyp from drying out. A few hours will pass and the tidal wave will cover the reef again. The corals will find themselves in their familiar environment. The mucus will be carried away by a tidal wave and the coral will again sparkle with all its usual colors, life on the reef will be revived again. And so twice a day. High tide - low tide, high tide - low tide.

But there is a day, perhaps two, in the life of a reef that has special significance. Of particular importance not only for this reef, but also for the vast area of ​​​​the ocean. This is the time when the sacrament of continuation of life is performed. This usually occurs in mid-November, the last month of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. On the night of the full moon or new moon. This night there is a particularly strong tide, especially high water. And on this night, billions and billions of polyps release eggs and sperm into the ocean. Myriads of fertilized eggs are picked up by the current and carried for many kilometers. Then they settle to the bottom, on the reefs, and give rise to a new life, a new colony of polyps, which will begin to do what nature intended for them - to build new reefs and islands. And so from year to year, from century to century.

These corals, living in shallow waters, in the warm waters of the southern seas, rich in plankton and small living creatures that serve as food for polyps, truly live in greenhouse conditions. That’s why there are so many different marine life in these coral thickets. From the smallest shrimp to the huge groupers. Some whales, dolphins, killer whales, and dugongs come here to breed.

Deep sea corals

Sixteen hours' flight from the Great Barrier Reef, from Australia to the Northeast, are the Hawaiian Islands. Not long ago, deep-sea corals were discovered near the coast of these islands at a depth of more than 1,600 meters. These corals live in very low temperatures, in almost complete darkness, and are subject to enormous pressure. Oceanologists found seven species of corals there, six of them were completely new, unknown to science. However, these coral colonies had their own ecosystem, which scientists have yet to understand.
And one more interesting fact. This discovery was made by scientists while studying deep-sea corals. They, like shallow-water corals, have their own annual rings. These rings can be used to determine not only the age, but also the conditions in which the corals lived. So, oceanologists here found corals that are more than four thousand years old. And, despite such a venerable age, these corals are still alive!
Research on these corals will help to understand how these creatures lived thousands of years ago, what the living conditions were like, and, most importantly, how to preserve what nature has created for tens, hundreds of thousands, even millions of years, but man, through his technogenic activities, can destroy in a matter of time. years.
The Great Barrier Reef is protected by the Marine National Park and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. But besides this unique corner of nature, there are many more places that also need protection and care. After all, we are all dependent on each other on Earth. And also on how we treat this small but such a beautiful planet of ours.

We will start our story about interesting facts about corals themselves and how they are used in jewelry with numbers:

• 6000 - this is how many types of coral polyps are found in nature;
• 25 of them are suitable for jewelry processing;
• 350 - the number of possible shades in which natural corals are painted (the color depends on organic impurities);
• 4000 years is the age of the oldest coral discovered by modern researchers;
• 1–3 centimeters - this is how much a polyp grows in a year;
• 8000 meters - the maximum depth of coral habitat (Batipates species);
• 27,000,000 square kilometers - the total area of ​​coral reefs in the World Ocean;
• 60% of reefs are on the verge of extinction as a result of economic and other human activities;
• 2500 kilometers - the length of the record-breaking atoll - the Great Barrier Reef, located off the coast of Australia;
• 2900 - the number of individual reefs included in it.

Corals in jewelry

Now let’s talk about how jewelers use corals: the interesting natural design of the material dictates the approach of the craftsmen to its use in jewelry. The fact is that the branches broken off from natural reefs are so intricate and elegant that they often do not need serious modification. It is enough to sand the coral and coat it with a protective varnish to get products of enchanting beauty. The main advantage of such accessories is uniqueness, since nature is not repeated in the masterpieces it creates.

If miniature fragments of coral are used, depending on the design of the jewelry, the craftsmen preserve their irregular natural shape or give it:

• spherical;
• oval;
• cabochon (spherical, teardrop-shaped or oval bead with one flat edge);
• carved bead;
• cutting (pieces cut from a tubular branch).

Torre del Greco is recognized as the world center for coral processing. In this small town near Naples there are a lot of companies and handicraft industries focused on the production of jewelry and costume jewelry.

We have no confirmed facts of healing with corals or increasing wisdom and wealth with their help, but there is no doubt that the beauty of products from this sea gift improves mood and gives women confidence in their own charm.

If you have ever dived into the depths of the sea, you have probably seen bright corals of bizarre shapes there. They look like beautiful living bushes with numerous branches that you will not find in an ordinary garden.

Are corals an animal or a plant? This thought comes first when you encounter this marine miracle. For a long time, scientists could not understand what type of organisms corals belong to. Only in 1982 did a French researcher prove that these are not marine plants.

Coral base

They are made up of very small organisms called polyps. This is a class of coelenterate invertebrates that can live either in colonies or alone. Today there are approximately 6,000 species.

These multicellular organisms have appeared since the time of ancient mammoths. They have only one cavity - the intestines, with the help of which food is digested. Hence their name - coelenterates. Therefore, there is no dispute about whether corals are an animal or a plant. Polyps can have different sizes - from a millimeter to several centimeters.

There are also huge ones - half a meter in diameter. These include representatives of the madrepore species. From numerous polyps emerges one large organism that resembles a huge bush, attracting the attention of divers.

Polyp structure and nutrition

It is quite primitive and resembles a cylinder with tentacles. Some polyps have a skeleton that is made of calcium. Not all polyps can move along the seabed. Only their tentacles bend, helping to obtain food. How does this happen? The coral tentacles pull small fish and shrimp into their nets.

In the intestinal cavity, the polyp has cilia that create a water flow. Thanks to it, oxygen and food enter the body. We hope we have answered the question of whether corals are an animal or a plant.

Dimensions and shape

The rich variety of wonderful living organisms knows no bounds. The smallest coral reefs can be several centimeters in length, the largest reach a height of more than 5 meters! Their shape can be very diverse: in the form of a twig, a curved hook, a barrel, a feather, or even in the form of a household item.

There are also more complex corals that resemble a fan, bird, or animal in appearance. Some colonies grow upward, others wider. They often look like spread out colorful carpets. What types of corals are there? Their colors are very different - shades of red, black, pink, green. Corals of blue and purple colors are quite rare.

The peculiarities of coral polyps are such that they are found only in tropical and subtropical waters. Some species live in the polar seas in the north. For example, Gersemia. Another noteworthy thing is that all corals live mainly in salty, clean waters.

Many types of corals prefer to live at shallow depths, which are well illuminated by daylight. This is due to the fact that this living organism lives in collaboration with algae, which need light for photosynthesis. What types of corals are there? The most famous are porite, mushroom-shaped, and black. There are about 400 species of corals in the Great Barrier Reef alone!

Deep polyps

These include curved corals called bathypates. They can be found at depths of over 8000 meters! Colonies appear only at the bottom of the solid substance. Also excellent habitats for them are sunken ships, airplanes, and underwater structures.

Deep-sea corals prefer a sessile lifestyle. Some of them can move along the seabed, but very slowly. Despite the fact that the structure of corals is primitive, they have complex biological rhythms.

Most often, this unusual organism behaves actively at night. Corals throw out their tentacles like nets and wait for food. With the onset of dawn, the polyps shrink and prefer to be at rest.

Coral propagation

Scientists believe that this marine organism can reproduce both vegetatively and sexually. Amazing ability, isn't it? Vegetative consists of fragmentation and then separation of the “child” from the parent polyp.

Typically, a coral forms a small “plate” on its leg, which then detaches and takes root at the bottom of the sea soil. The sexual method suggests that the corals must be male and female. This is not observed in all polyps. Reproduction in this case occurs as follows: during fertilization, sperm penetrate the gastric cavity. Then they go outside and find themselves in the mouth area of ​​the female polyp.

Cell division occurs traditionally. As a result of embryonic development, small larvae are formed, which then swim freely in the water. Such information should dispel doubts among those people who still have not found a clear answer to the question of whether corals are an animal or a plant.

A little about the benefits

Corals delight the eye with their unusual appearance, but this is not their only advantage. In fact, they are the builders of the marine ecosystem. Moreover, they organize it without unnecessary fuss. By forming colonies, they provide shelter for various marine inhabitants, such as eels, stingrays, starfish and various fish.

Jewelers claim that marine polyps are an excellent material for making various products. It is known that in ancient times coral necklaces were hung around the necks of small children to promote better teeth growth. It was also believed that sea gifts help in difficult situations. Therefore, they were used as an amulet that could protect against the evil eye and give strength in difficult situations. Traditional healers believe that corals regulate metabolism, have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, and improve memory.

In conclusion, I would like to note that corals belong to the animal world and you can tell a lot of interesting things about them.

The beauty of the underwater world, its splendor and diversity always amazes nature lovers who go to see marine life. At the heart of this diversity are some very unusual inhabitants.

Introducing interesting facts about corals

Corals have the most extraordinary range of colors, which shimmer beautifully in the ocean depths.

In total, there are more than 6 thousand such underwater inhabitants in the world and this is one of the richest species of coelenterates.

Corals are quite picky

So, for their growth they need adequate conditions: sufficient salinity of water, transparency, warmth and a lot of food. That is why coral reefs live in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

It is interesting that in the World Ocean the area of ​​coral reefs totals about 27 million square meters. km.

The Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the greatest creations of these underwater growths. It extends near Australia.

Lime reserves thanks to coral reefs are almost inexhaustible

Some areas of such reefs are so large that they can rightfully be called coral islands.

Coral islands have their own life and vegetation. You can even find cacti and tall shrubs here.

The local population uses corals to make jewelry.

The results are very beautiful and rainbow-colored products for the summer season.

Corals are also used as a building material, polishing metal surfaces and producing medicines.

If a person is damaged by the coral barrier, the skin will take a very long time to heal. Even suppuration may appear at the wound site, regardless of whether the coral is poisonous or not.

Corals have special cells designed to protect

They are called stinging insects and at the moment of danger they release poison.

The Hindus had a belief that only men should wear red corals, and only women should wear white corals. It was believed that these colors are a kind of symbolism of one and the other sex, and in the case of “wrong wear”, each of them acquired the character traits of the opposite. How true this is is unknown.

Today, few men wear coral products. Well, women allow themselves any color scheme, including red. Apparently, it is precisely because of this that emancipation is flourishing in our country.

You will find other interesting facts about corals on the Internet.

There are amazing forms of corals. Some of them resemble underwater flowers. Each “twig” of such a flower consists of many individual polyps.

   Class -
   Row - Alcionaria, Gorgonaria, Madreporaria, etc.

   Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Diameter: individual polyps up to 2 cm, colonies on average reach 3 m.

REPRODUCTION
They reproduce asexually through fission and budding. Colonies also produce sperm and eggs. Fertilized eggs hatch into larvae.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: lead an attached lifestyle on the seabed; there are individual individuals and columns.
Food: living plankton. Madrepore corals feed on waste products of algae that live in their bodies.

RELATED SPECIES
The class of coral polyps includes more than 6,500 species of madrepore corals, sea feathers, gorgonians, sea anemones and many other animals. Jellyfish are not their close relatives.

   Coral polyps are unique underwater architects. In the shallow waters of tropical seas, they form entire fabulous forests and clearings, which are an ideal place for the existence of many marine animals.

FOOD

   Coral polyps are active at night. They feed on plankton and organic particles in the water.
   Corals catch prey using paralyzing stinging cells, the stinging fibers of which are studded with small hooks. Many coral polyps live in symbiosis with unicellular algae. Algae receive from the coral carbon dioxide and nitrogen and phosphorus compounds necessary for photosynthesis. Corals use both the main and by-products of photosynthesis - organic matter and oxygen. There is a continuous exchange of phosphorus between the owner and the cohabitant.

REPRODUCTION

   A coral colony grows as a result of budding, that is, asexual reproduction, when a small shoot appears on an old individual, which turns into a new young individual. Buds appear on tissues that connect individuals in a colony, or that grow on the base of the mother polyp. During sexual reproduction in the first phase of the month after the full moon, corals release billions of eggs and sperm into the water. All polyps of the same species release their reproductive cells into the water at the same time. Fertilized eggs develop into small larvae that become part of the zooplankton.

LIFESTYLE

   Coral polyp colonies are a large number of individual polyps firmly attached to each other, which together form branches, horns or other complex shapes. Individual polyps have the shape of a short cylinder with an opening at the upper end, surrounded by a corolla of tentacles. Special channels connect several layers of cells and transmit digested food to other members of the colony. Coral polyps can be divided into two groups. The first is formed by polyps that build a calcareous skeleton; they are called madrepore corals. The second group includes polyps with feathery tentacles, such as gorgonians, sea feathers and sea anemones. Coral polyps strengthen their massive skeleton with a special layer formed by the sole. Thanks to such a strong base, in case of danger, the polyp can instantly pull the body into the calcareous skeleton. Other types of coral are like large fans, they can bend and sway with sea currents because their skeleton is created by individual calcareous rods that are embedded in a jelly-like substance.

HABITAT

   Most often, coral polyps are found in shallow, warm seas. Typically, the water temperature here does not drop below -16 C. For madrepore corals, the most optimal temperature is within 23 C. If the temperature changes significantly, the corals may die. Some types of coral polyps require sunlight to reach them. Madrepore corals find ideal conditions at depths of up to 45 m, soft and mobile alcyonari are found up to a depth of 100 m. Madrepore corals do not settle near river mouths because they do not survive in fresh, running water. “Hunting” coral polyps willingly settle in the area of ​​​​sea currents. Thin but elastic gorgonians perfectly tolerate light waves of water (their columns are elastic and bend), while hard but fragile madrepore corals break under the influence of water or waves.
  

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

• Corals “fight” among themselves for territory. Coral polyps shoot out stinging fibers from their neighbors or grow so that they block their light.
• Noble coral is mined in large quantities in the Mediterranean Sea. Jewelry is made from it.
• Red coral is colored in various shades of red - from light pink to dark red. The most expensive coral is the rare black coral.

  

TWO NORTH ATLANTIC CORAL

   Alcyonarians: This is a coral that lives alone. It looks like an anemone, so it is easy to confuse it with it. The animal reaches 25 mm in diameter, its transparent tentacles grow in a corolla around the slit-like mouth opening.
   Gorgonians: lives in the Atlantic Ocean, in waters warmed by the Gulf Stream. Colonies of this polyp form a horny, lime-soaked skeleton.

PLACES OF ACCOMMODATION
They are found in all tropical and subtropical seas, as well as in some temperate zones. Reefs form on the warmer eastern parts of continents.
PRESERVATION
Corals are very fragile animals, so they are often destroyed by the anchors of ships that drag along the bottom.