DO YOU KNON WONDERS AND PONTENTIAL OF CORRALS?

Corrals are animals in the phylum Cnidarians. Corrals found in marine environment are shallow water that reserve enough light. Maximum 60 to 90m they live at the place where no too much sed. Corrals grow in different shapes such as mushroom shape, cabbage shape, brain shape and treelike shape.


Corrals are photosynthetic by help of the symbiotic mutuality micro-algae dinoglagelate namely zooxanthellae. These zooxanthellae safely protected inside the tissue of the corrals, are able to photosynthesis using the energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. The corrals benefit from the oxygen and food produced by the algae. The algae gain protection.


There are two major groups of corrals which are soft corral and hard corrals .hard corrals secret calcium carbonates forming hard tissue structures around their body these structures are called corral reefs, corral reefs obtain their characteristic color from the Dinoflagellate (algae) which is differ according to algae color. Through corrals extend their polyps, and feeds during night as any other animal. In any stress on corral polyp whether by increased temperature zooxanthella (algae) will be expelled from corrals hence this leads to loss of corrals beauty.


For more information corrals also prey upon the tiny zooplankton found floating in the water. The carnivorous corrals capture their floating prey with their tentacles and pass the food into the mouth. Reproduction system in the corrals can occur either sexually or budding off from parent animal and form new individual.


In addition corrals play great part in food production for sea animals. The ecosystem is likened with the tropical zooxathella forests many animals go to corrals for feeding nursery and breading. Corral reef protect the shore form brevier reefs from strong waves. Corral reefs attract tourists lead to get the foreign exchange. Corral is important for climate change for the two ways:
• Living with the photosynthetic dinoflagelate which help to remove carbon dioxide form environment.
• Being sensitive to climate change such as elevated temperature corrals can be good indicator of climate change specifically corral blenching.
Written by;
Fatma Rajabu-YET2011