Coral reefs 'generate' new species
New species originate 50% faster in coral reefs compared to other habitats, according to the research
While coral reefs have long been known to attract a diverse range of species, the undersea areas also act as cradles of evolution, according to new research.
Scientists from the US and Germany, including Wolfgang Kiessling from Humboldt University in Berlin, used fossil records stretching back 540 million years to work out the evolution rate at reefs.
The study, which is published in the journal Science, says that coral reefs give rise to more new species than other tropical marine habitats, with fresh genera originating 50% faster in the areas compared to other environments.
According to Mr Kiessling, who led the study, the research shows that reefs are more important than currently assumed.
"They are not only ecologically important for the marine environment, but also in an evolutionary sense," he noted.
"If we lose the coral reefs we lose the ability for marine ecosystems to generate new species in the future," Mr Kiessling warned.
Last month, a report released by more than 100 of Europe's leading marine scientists at the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen revealed that the increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is damaging reefs.
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Warming sea temperatures have caused coral to become more acidic, making it difficult for tiny animals to repair their exoskeletons, the scientists claimed.
Australia is home to the world's largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, which contains over 3,000 individual reef systems and coral cays.
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