Why does coral have to live in such a specific environment?
Coral reefs exist in shallow waters because of their dependence on photosynthesis for food production. Photosynthesis is the chemical process by which plants capture sunlight and convert it, along with water and carbon dioxide, into energy. These plants release oxygen and other organic materials as waste products of photosynthesis; in turn, these by-products are what animals use to produce their own food. In shallow water, more sunlight is available for photosynthesis. Tropical waters are generally poor in nutrients because there isn’t much mixing of deep water and surface water. Nutrients from decomposing organisms that would otherwise be available for food sink to the ocean floor when those organisms die and remain there, instead of being recycled into the water closer to the surface. That is why reefs are so dependent on photosynthesis for energy. The coral reef itself is actually a colony made up of many tiny organisms called coral polyps that are joined together by their outer ske
