How many animals do coral reefs support?

How many animals do coral reefs support?

Coral reef diversity This area supports more than 7,000 species of fishes, invertebrates, plants, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Deep water reefs or mounds are less well known, but also support a wide array of sea life in a comparatively barren world.

How many animals are extinct in the Great Barrier Reef?

Out of the 360 species of coral found in the Great Barrier Reef, 22 types are currently endangered.

What is the most common animal in the Great Barrier Reef?

About 630 species recorded along the Great Barrier Reef, with starfish perhaps being the most well known.

What is the smallest animal in the Great Barrier Reef?

The world’s smallest vertebrate is a tiny fish that lives in coral lagoons on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, marine scientists say. The scientists caught it 25 years ago but it has taken them this long to verify it was in fact a new species and a record breaker, at just 7 to 8 millimetres long.

How many plants live in the Great Barrier Reef?

Known the world over for its lush rainforest, you’ll also find mangroves, wetlands, paperbark forests, heathlands, and grasslands. In fact, there are over 2,800 plant species in the World Heritage-listed area, 700 of which are endemic to the Wet Tropics, meaning they can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

What percent of the ocean floor are coral reefs?

In truth, coral reef habitats represent some of the densest and most varied ecosystems on Earth. Though they cover only 0.2 percent of the ocean’s floor, scientists estimate that nearly one million species of fish, invertebrates, and algae can be found in and around the world’s reefs.

What kinds of animals live in the Great Barrier Reef?

However, it also attracts various marine life and sea creatures as well. Considering its incredible size, the Great Barrier Reef is home to various animals. In general, fish, reef sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, and even some whales can be seen among the reef. This is just a taste of the variations of marine life lingering among the reef.

How many species of shorebirds live in the Great Barrier Reef?

Islands and cays along the Great Barrier Reef support breeding populations of 22 seabird species. Areas of international significance for migratory and resident species of shorebirds are found on, or adjacent, to the Great Barrier Reef.

How many species of mollusks live in the Great Barrier Reef?

Marine biologists believe there are at least 5,000 and possibly as many as 10,000 species of mollusks inhabiting the Great Barrier Reef, the most visible being the giant clam, which can weigh up to 500 pounds.

What are some interesting facts and statistics about the Great Barrier Reef?

Here are some interesting facts and statistics about the Great Barrier Reef: 1 Fact: The Great Barrier Reef is a popular tourist destination with over two million visitors each year. 2 Fact: Tourism to the reef generates approximately AU$5-6 billion per year. 3 Fact: The Great Barrier Reef is a great holiday destination for families and kids.