· Coral reefs take up less than 1% of the ocean floor, yet 25% of all marine life lives on the reefs.

· Over 3,000 species can live on one reef.

· Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is over 2,000 miles long.

· Coral reefs are the largest living structures on Earth. They are over 100 million years old.

· Without reefs, many shoreline communities would be underwater. Every square meter of reef protects $ 47,000 of property from storm damage and erosion.

· Ceral reefs provide humans with a wide variety of medicinal resources. Chemical compounds found in reefs provide chemicals used in antibiotics and antihistamines. Medicines are made from these chemicals to treat heart disease, asthma, leukemia and more.

· People living in the Pacific Islands get most of their protein from coral reefs.

· 350 million people on Earth depend on coral reefs for their food and survival.

by Mary M. Alward