Why are coral reefs considered so important for marine biodiversity?
Coral reefs are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on earth. Coral reefs support more species per unit area than any other marine environment, including about 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals and hundreds of other species and are thus indeed comparable to the tropical rainforests. It is possible that another 1 to 8 million undiscovered species of organisms are living in and around reefs. In the Arabian Gulf, situated in a hyper-arid area with relatively low biodiversity on land, the coral reefs of the region are the biological treasure chest housing most of the region’s biodiversity. In many areas, this biodiversity is considered key to finding new medicines for the 21st century. Many drugs are now being developed from coral reef animals and plants as possible cures for cancer, arthritis, human bacterial infections, viruses and other diseases. How many metres below sea do these reefs extend? Coral reefs are found in the deep and shallow waters of the Arabia
