★『Jewels Of The Ocean-Coral Reefs』☆

Taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oB9bxHJsRw&feature=related

Taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBgh_YmY4lU One of the most amazing habitats on earth is found in warm, clear, shallow waters of tropical oceans worldwide. Tiny cup-shaped animals, called polyps, live in colonies, and when they die, their skeletons form a hard, stony, branching structure made of limestone.

Taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkwPfDWJmdo 2008 International Year Of The Reef

Taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toAdCtHXqsE Niphon Phongsuwan, Coral reef biologist at the Phuket Marine Biological Center or PMBC, recently told us about the current problem for coral reefs being destroyed by several Crown of Thorns Starfish outbreaks in various locations near Phuket. Back in 1984, The PMBC surveyed crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks in the reefs on several islands in the Andaman Sea. Serious outbreaks were found on some, while others did not show outbreaks, however there was a presence of dead coral which was suspected to have been caused by crown-of-thorns starfish. In early 2007, an outbreak was found in a small cove, south of Ba-ngu Island (the northernmost island of the Similian group). The reef had been hugely degraded within a few months as a result. The staff of PMBC and Similian National Park removed 65 in an area of about 150 x 50 metres in March 2007. At the present time, outbreaks are still found in some areas. At Racha Yai Island, south of Phuket, recent outbreaks were found at some spots on the east coast of the island, and this year near Ko Aeo, south east of Phuket. The crown-of-thorns starfish is a natural part of the reef ecosystem, and if the population levels are balanced, it is beneficial to the environment. These starfish choose to eat fast growing coral species, particularly staghorn coral. Fast growing coral species can cover areas very quickly, and compete for space with slow growing species. The crown-of-thorns starfish helps to maintain a balance, and allows space for the slowing growing species, therefore creating higher levels of diversity. Currently, high levels of fertilizer are used in agriculture, and are subsequently being flushed to the sea. This fertilizer provides food for phytoplankton, and when phytoplankton blooms it causes zooplankton to bloom as well. The larvae of the crown-of-thorns starfish begins as zooplankton, so the presence of fertilizer causes the crown-of-thorns starfish to proliferate. Another cause of the abundance of these starfish is a lack of predators such as the rare Triton shells, or triggerfish, due to illegal fishing and sales of shells. Khun Nipon also wants to tell people not to feed fish with bread as the fish then do not eat naturally, including the larvae of crown of thorn starfish. Many divers have asked him how many crown-of-thorns starfish in a certain area define it as an outbreak. Scientists approximate if there are greater than 10 individuals in one hectare, that area is considered to have an outbreak. If there are greater than 30 individuals in one hectare, the outbreak is at a very serious level. If any divers find an outbreak case, it is acceptable to kill or remove the starfish to help preserve the affected reefs. However, if the outbreak area is within a National Park, a permit must be obtained before anything can be removed. There are several methods which can be used to limit the number of crown-of-thorns starfish. You can use a knife to cut the central part of the starfish body, but should take care not to merely cut it in half, as the two halves can regenerate. Another option is to collect the starfish and bring them on shore to dry out.

Taken from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoGKdeAEwRY

From:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2qYJVNblVs&feature=related Beautiful coral reefs, spanning Egypt, Sudan and the Philippines, featuring anemone fish, nudibranchs, and a colour-changing surgeon, among others.

This video is from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rdhjbfTrzo. A scene from the IMAX movie "Coral Reef Adventure"