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LESSON 4 · Ecosystems: How Nature Balances

Underwater Cities

Coral reefs occupy less than one percent of the ocean floor but support roughly twenty-five percent of all marine species. They are the most biodiverse marine ecosystem on the planet — the ocean's equivalent of tropical rainforests. A single reef can host over a thousand species of fish and hundreds of species of coral.

The economic value of coral reefs is staggering. They provide food for over 500 million people, support fishing and tourism industries worth hundreds of billions annually, and protect coastlines from storm surge and erosion.