Consider the following statements about Coral reefs 1 Coral reefs are mainly found in cold water and...........

Environment and Ecology Natural ecosystems and protection

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Consider the following statements about Coral reefs.

1. Coral reefs are mainly found in cold water and are almost absent in warm water

2. Coral reefs are completely absent in Red Sea due to high salinity of Red Sea

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

1 Only

2 Only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

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Explanation:

Coral reefs are made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Coral reefs require bright sunlight and warm water for their formation and survival. So they are mainly concentrated in tropical waters between 30°N and 30°S latitude. Coral reefs can be found in both shallow and deep waters. Corals nourish themselves by symbiotic relationships with zooxanthellae. However, when water is too warm,corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. Though there are evidences for coral bleaching in Red Sea, but still most of the coral reefs are found in healthy condition in Red Sea.