Environment & Fun Facts

National nudi
Photo by Stuart Gow

Why Surrounding Marine Life is Important

The surrounding marine life is extremely important for the biodiversity and the health and well-being of the reef, as everything plays a role in protecting the environment.

  •  Many sea creatures are important for keeping algae off of coral. Take Parrotfish as an example; they are important as they eat algae off of coral, keeping them clean and healthy (Parrotfish, 2021). 
  • Some creatures are important for filtering the water, such as Sea Cucumbers. They are vital for the environment as they help with the survival of coral reefs by increasing the alkalinity of seawater, thus helping decrease ocean acidification (Bondaroff, 2019). 
  • Many or all creatures are important as they serve as prey or predator, maintaining a balance within the ecosystem. For example, Giant Triton shells are extremely important to the health of the reef as they are one of the only natural predators of the Crown of Thorns (CoT’s), which eat coral polyps, killing the corals and harmming the reef. Giant Triton shells are facing many threats due to pollution, habitat destruction and overfishing, increasing the amounts of CoT’s harming our reefs. 
Photo by Stuart Gow

Fun Facts

  • Many fish are born female and are able to become a male later on. These are called sequential hermaphrodites. (Goni, 2016)
  • Seahorses are the only animals where the male gives birth. (Goni, 2016)
  • When Parrotfish sleep, they produce their own sleeping bag made out of mucus to protect themselves from predators.  (Goni, 2016)
  • Parrot fish eat coral and poop it out as sand. 
  • Sea Urchins eat pretty much anything they can, such as plankton, sea cucumbers, decaying ocean life, kelp and algae, etc. Making them particularly useful for keeping corals clean of overgrowth of algae that often covers and stops coral from absorbing sunlight. (URCHIN, n.d.)
  • Much like how humans have their own unique thumbprint, Eagle Rays have their own unique pattern of spots on their backs, making no two Eagle Rays the same. (Hill, 2023)

  • Octopuses have blue blood, this is because of a copper-rich protein in their blood called Hemocyanin. This carries oxygen around the body and turns blue when reacting with oxygen. (Hill, 2023a)

Photo by Stuart Gow

Conservation Tips

It is highly important to protect the environment. Here are a few ways you can do your part in keeping the environment safe:

  • Do not remove anything from the sea!
  • Dispose of rubbish properly
  • Do not stand on corals
  • Use environmentally friendly products such as paper straws and reusable bags.