Marine Life with Brenda

Coral reefs are amazingly diverse underwater habitats, home to turtles, dolphins and anemones and also dozens of different species of fish.  The Great Barrier Reef on Australia's north-east coast is a place of exceptional diversity and elegance. This comprises the world's largest collection of coral reefs, with 400 coral forms, 1,500 fish species, and 4,000 mollusc species. It also has great scientific interest, such as the habitat of animals like the dugong and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction. As the levels of carbon dioxide climb, water acidity is also rising to a degree not previously experienced by corals. Scientists have been looking for hot resistance spots, places where coral has already evolved to extreme heat and acidity such as volcanic vents and deep springs where carbon dioxide flows spontaneously through the sea floor.  Coral are capable of recovering, but not at the same pace as human activities are killing it. Consequently,...

Did you known that species like hermit crabs and horse crabs are not even crabs? If your answer is no to this question, be pleased to hear that neither did I, Hahahah.  Crabs are infraorder Brachyura decapod crustaceans that normally have a very small projection abdomen that is generally completely concealed under the thorax. They live in all the oceans of the world, in fresh water, and on land, are usually covered with a thick exoskeleton and have a pair of pinchers. Crabs are found in all oceans around the world whereas many crabs live in fresh water and on land, particularly in tropical regions. The size of crabs ranges from the pea crab, a few millimetres large, to the Japanese spider crab, up to 4 metres long. When I am at home I love seeing these beautiful creatures going about their lives on the mangroves and all over the beach.  Author: Brenda Moita