diandang
初级会员
注册日期: 2011-8-29
位置: United States
发贴数: 5
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| 发贴日期: 2011-8-29 11:38 | IP 已记录
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Reefs are ecosystems derived from soft bed organisms. They predominantly consist of cemented stony corals made of calcium carbonate. In contrast, the tissues of soft corals contain sclerites, which look like tiny pins or porcupine needles. In the reefs of Kenting National Park, located in South Taiwan, the researchers discovered that large structures originally believed to be comprised of stony corals were actually deposits of sclerites that been cemented to each other by calcium carbonate over time.
Soft corals were once considered a mere veneer of reefs, says Prof. Benayahu, not unlike a living ocean carpet. Once a soft coral colony disintegrates, the sclerites, each less than 1 millimeter in size, were thought to scatter and simply accumulate on the sea bed along with shells, sea urchin spines, and other smaller materials. But in fact, they are engineered wood flooring throughout the reef ecosystem and provide a home for creatures such as fish, snails, algae and many others.
Not only is soft coral widespread, especially throughout the Indo-Pacific reefs, but it is also extremely rich in biodiversity. The genus Sinularia, the soft coral used in reef building, is composed of about 170 species worldwide. This is more than any stony coral genus, including 130 species of staghorn corals, the most populous. Given its spread and diversity, the group is certainly understudied, Prof. Benayahu says.
Soft coral is in danger of being wiped out of the marine environment. One major culprit is the rising acidity of our oceans, caused by heightened gift boxes of carbon dioxide, says Prof. Benayahu. "As burning oil dissolves into the sea water, the water becomes more acidic, which then dissolves calcareous materials," he warns, including corals whose skeletons are made of calcite.
Soft corals need not only to be protected, but also further studied to understand their role in the entire ecosystem. Questions such as the rate at which soft corals can form reefs, especially as they face environmental challenges such as temperature changes, water acidity, and rising sea levels, still linger.
For those who scoff that humans anthropomorphize our pets, I’ll just say this: You have never loved, nor been loved by, a dog. The old cliché, “If you want unconditional love, get a dog,’’ is true. It will be the purest, most uncomplicated love you’ll know.
I held back for awhile - maybe the 45-minute ride home from the shelter. Tucker was sweet, funny, affectionate and loyal. Whenever any of us came into the house, we were greeted with a tail-wagging, butt-shaking whirling dervish who whimpered and vacuum cleaner bag and ultimately rolled onto his back for a belly rub. An alpha dog he was not.
Tucker knew our moods better than any shrink could. Once, when I’d had a bad day, I came home, buried my face in his fur, and cried. Tucker lay there until my sobbing subsided, then licked my tears away, something not even the sweetest husband would do.
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