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.
Corals are made up of thousands of tiny animals called polyps.
