KOROR STATE GOVERNMENT MARINE TOUR GUIDE ... - C3

3.4 Seagrass Beds
Palau has extensive seagrass beds that grow in the shallow waters around the coast.
They are vital areas for baby fish and many animals such rabbit fish, sea cucumbers,
shellfish, crabs, urchins and turtles and dugongs. Seagrasses are just like plants that
grow on land, they produce flowers, fruits, and seeds, and have roots. Palau has 10
species of sea grasses. Often people don’t realize how important these underwater
‘fields’ are for supporting our commercial and subsistence fish species and endangered
turtles and dugongs as well as keeping our waters clear. Around Palau today, many
States have started coastal development projects, including dredging, which smothers
the seagrasses and makes the water cloudy, so that they eventually become sick and
die. We don’t see the effects until several years later, when people start wondering
where the sea cucumbers have gone and why the fish stocks are declining.
Pat Colin
Information Source: CRC Reef Research Centre: Tropical Topics
3.5 Coral Reefs
3.5.1 What are coral reefs?
Reefs are the result of a fine balance between the formation and consolidation of
limestone (produced by coral and marine algae) and destruction by mechanical and
biological activities.
Found only in the shallow warm waters of the world, coral reefs require:
‣ Annual mean temperature of 22-29’C for reef growth
‣ Clear water to allow adequate light for photosynthesis
‣ Firm substrate for attachment
‣ Stable salinity or salt content (This is why reefs don’t occur near river
outfalls.)
‣ Low sedimentation (Sediments reduce the amount of light and can
smother corals.)
‣ Low nutrients (increased nutrients allow algae to grow over corals)
44