Importance of coral reefs and mangroves

Coral reefs together with mangrove swamps often serve as protection for many species of young fish, which will later move of to the open ocean, they are in effect a nursery ground for these fishes. Some of theses fishes are then caught for food, and thus without the reefs to provide them with a safe environment for growing, there will be less in the open ocean, directly affecting our food supply. Prawns, crabs, lobsters, and various other marine-life that also use mangrove swamps as nursery grounds, are also important to fishing industries. Coral reefs are also important for education as well as for research purposes. Coral reefs are one of the densest places, in terms of biological diversity, on earth. Thus it is very likely there are yet undiscovered species, which may be of value to us. Scientists have useful chemical compounds extracted from plants found in the rain forest. Reefs could yield the some other form of useful chemicals. Scientists are researching how some reefs inhabitants may help in AIDS and cancer screening.
 

Mangroves are an important habitat, providing food, shelter and nursery areas for fish, birds, crustaceans and other marine life. They also provide a source of livelihood for many humans around the world, including wood for fuel, charcoal and timber and areas for fishing. Mangroves also form a buffer that defends coastlines from flooding and erosion.Mangrove plants have a tangle of roots which are often exposed above water, leading to the nickname “walking trees.” The roots of mangrove plants are adapted to filter salt water, and their leaves can excrete salt, allowing them to survive where other land plants cannot.Many types of marine and terrestrial life utilize mangroves. Animals inhabit the mangrove’s leafy canopy and waters underneath the mangrove’s root system, and live in nearby tidal waters and mudflats. In the U.S., species found in mangroves include reptiles such as the American crocodile and American alligator; sea turtles including the hawks bill, Ridley, green and loggerhead; fish such as snapper, tarpon, jack, sheep shead, and red drum; crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs; and coastal and migratory birds such as pelicans, spoonbills and bald eagles.