Facts about coral

  • Corals are made up of thousands of tiny animals called polyps.
  • Coral reefs occupy only 0.7% of the surface of the ocean floor, but they inhabit 25% of all marine species of the planet.
  • The ecosystem of coral reefs contains 4000 species of fish, 700 species of corals and thousands of species of plants and animals.
  • A large barrier reef along the coast of Australia is the longest ridge of coral reefs on Earth.
  • Coral reefs protect the coast from erosion, waves and storms. It is estimated that every square meter of a coral reef protects real estate worth 47 thousand dollars.
  • Corals are a storehouse of pharmaceutical substances used for the production of drugs for combating heart disease, asthma, leukemia, cancer and various viruses, including HIV.
  • The beauty of coral reefs attracts millions of tourists annually, which brings billions of dollars to the economies of countries and provides 10% of jobs in the world. The profit from “coral” tourism is ten times higher than the profit from fishing in the tropics.
  • The age of coral reefs in the area of ​​the Ras Mohammed National Park at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula is 2 billion years old.
  • Coral reefs Shark and Yolanda in the Ras Mohammed National Park are among the ten best and most beautiful places in the world for diving.