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Questions about coral reefs

·      How often do coral die and
This is very complicated. Corals can die for many reasons, old age, extreme environmental temperatures, salinities, light, sediments, pollutants, algae overgrowth, etc. Some corals have short life spans and die when they reach a certain size or age, others seem to live forever. 

·      How do they disintegrate?
The tissue quickly rots away or is eaten by bacteria in days. The limestone skeleton takes much longer to vanish due to limestone boring organisms (algae, fungi, bacteria, sponges, worms, clams, etc.).

·      Is a coral a animal mineral or vegetable?
All three. The coral itself is an animal in symbiosis with an alga (vegetable) that grows  a solid mineral skeleton that builds the reef structure.

·      What is symbiosis?
Different organisms that live together with benefit to both partners.

·      Why are coral community’s important?
They create the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the sea whose fisheries, sand supply, shore protection, tourism, and biodiversity services are of the greatest economic importance to over 100 countries

·      What problems exist in these community’s?
Human caused sources of coral death from global warming, diseases, pollution, and physical damage are rapidly wiping them out. 

·      What are the solutions?
The only solutions are to stop global warming, pollution, new diseases, and direct physical threats. Failing ending the major threats killing corals, the only solutions are to grow corals faster and more resistant to environmental stress. The Biorock® method is the only one that does so.

·      How many different types of animals live in a single coral reef?
Vast numbers, this is the most diverse marine ecosystem, but the majority of the species are still unknown to science.

·      How much research has been done on coral reefs them selves?
Don't understand the question. Corals have been systematically studied by direct underwater diving observation only over the last 60 years, starting with my father, Dr. Thomas F. Goreau, the world's first diving marine scientist.

·      How long does it take for a single coral colony to form?
Depends on how big it grows. Some corals can live up to thousands of years.

·      How many types of coral reefs are there?
This depends on arbitrary human classification schemes. Every reef has a unique history and mix of environmental and biological factors affecting it.

·      How long does it take for a coral reef to form?
Depends on size. Most modern coral reefs are about 6,000 to 8,000 years old, when sea level stabilized near its current level. 

·      Are there different parts of a coral reef?
Yes, usually we classify the back reef, reef crest, and fore reef as separate habitats, but their extent depends on detailed history.

·      How many coral reefs are there in the world?
Depends on how you classify and count them. Coral reefs occupy about one part in a thousand of the area of the ocean, other areas are too deep, cold, muddy, or nutrient rich for reef-building corals to grow. 

·      How long can a coral reef survive
Most modern reefs go back nearly 8,000 years, but we are killing them many times faster than they can grow.

·      How long can one coral live?
Depends on species and conditions, but some are thousands of years old, although most only last a couple of years before dying.

·      How many different species can live in a single coral reef?
No one knows. Most coral reef species have probably not yet been identified by science. Pacific reefs can have more than 500 coral species, 1500 fish species, and uncountable numbers of other organisms.

·      What is your work environment like?
Very difficult, severe poverty due to having had no salary for 21 years.

·      How often do you go out into the field to do research?
Whenever I can get someone to send a ticket.

·      How many people work for you?
We are a global network of people working on direct action projects to study, save, and restore coral reefs. But we are all volunteers working for no money, as there is no funding in this field.