You can make a difference - Tip 5

Here's this month's You can make a difference tip.

Loving coral reef to death

Corals are not rocks or plants but tiny minuscule animals responsible for building the most spectacular biological structures on earth: the coral reefs. Zillions of colorful and diverse marine creatures depend on these underwater gardens for food, shelter and protection.

Corals are so delicate; the slightest touch of a hand, fin or bump of a tank can kill them. They take millenniums to grow (5mm to 2 cm per year) and only seconds to destroy!

Facts:

Coral is so similar to human bone that it is used in bone grafting operations.

The Great Barrier Reef is 2,000 kilometers long and 80 kilometers high!!

A compound extracted from coral is being used to treat cancer.

Corals protect the shores from storms and hurricanes: when the tsunami hit the coast of Sri Lanka, it devastated areas where corals have been (illegally) mined to a much greater extent than nearby areas where corals were intact.

So this summer, if you are diving or snorkeling, keep your hands on your butt - or someone else’s - just keep them off the corals!!

There you go! Don't touch coral reef! No matter how nice it looks!

Oh...and on a side note....GOOOO ITAAALIAAAA!