Consider the following statements :
1.Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters.
2.More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines.
3.Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Explanation
S1 and S2: The vast majority of large reefs created by corals in shallow waters (< 50 m water depth) are located within a tropical zone located between 30º N and 30º S latitude with a preferred temperature range of approximately 22º to 29º C. Coral reefs are often called the “tropical rainforests of the sea” for their astounding richness of life.
S3: Coral reefs are the most diverse communities on the planet. These tropical marine communities occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor, but are inhabited by at least 25% of all marine species. Scientists estimate that more than 25,000 described species from thirty-two of the world’s thirty-three animal phyla live in reef habitats – four times the number of animal phyla found in tropical rain forests.