Sri Lanka, nicknamed the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, is a beautiful island surrounded by sea. Foreign tourists regularly visit our country, which has many beautiful beaches. Tourists love to visit the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka. The coral wall of Ceylon is another special ecosystem that attracts the attention of tourists who enjoy the beauty of the beaches. Decades ago, the beautiful coral reefs around Sri Lanka attracted a large number of local and foreign tourists. But in the past, it has been gradually destroyed by natural causes and human activities.
What is a coral reef?
A coral reef is a living rock that runs parallel to the shore. The coral reefs made up of millions of species, add to the beauty of the ocean. A coral reef is made up of a tiny creature called a polychrome. The average coral population is in the hundreds of thousands. The corals combine to form a reef. Over time, seaweed and algae grow on the coral reefs. It is also home to many other sea creatures.
How a coral reef is formed
The invertebrate is a small, soft, transparent animal that absorbs calcium carbonate from seawater and builds a skeleton outside its body. The skeletons that makeup thousands of animals are called corals. The coral reef starts with a single polyp. As soon as it finds a surface floating in the ocean, it settles and forms templates. There you can see the cubs grafting onto multiple parents and making templates. Eventually, the polygamist dies but other organisms grow on the remaining skeleton. For thousands of years, a very thick skeleton formed by a colony of polyps has been called a coral reef.
Coral reef friendly environment
Coral reefs are most common 30 degrees north of the equator and 30 degrees south of the equator. Coral reefs need a temperature of 28-35 degrees Celsius to grow. The average temperature in the polar regions is less than 28 degrees Celsius, making it difficult for coral reefs to survive in such areas. Also, the salinity of the water is important for the survival of coral reefs. On average, most coral reefs need about 35 grams of salt per liter of water to survive without difficulty.
Coral reef areas in Sri Lanka
Hikkaduwa comes to mind for a moment when talking about coral reefs in Sri Lanka. In addition to Hikkaduwa, the largest coral reefs can be found in Jaffna, Galle, Mannar, Yala, and Pasikudah. It is reported that there are more than 200 species of hard corals and about 35 species of soft corals in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka on average.
Service to the environment by a coral reef
Coral reefs are an invaluable resource, providing an important habitat for a wide variety of fish and other aquatic life. Coral reefs are also an ideal breeding ground for marine life. This will create a more conducive environment for the fishing industry. Furthermore, coastal erosion is minimized due to the coral formations in the form of a wall close to the coast. What happens there is that the coral reef slows down, acting as a barrier to prevent coastal erosion.
Coral reefs are a beautiful and beautiful ecosystem. Through this, it has been possible to earn a large amount of foreign exchange from the tourism industry. Corals are also important as a chemical to reduce soil acidity
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