Don't Forget Importance Of Plant Life

When questioned about the role of marine preserves, most people will mention the protection of fish. A healthy supply of fish provides stock to seed other areas of reef that are being exploited. This is very true, and work by numerous marine management agencies on Guam indicates that the marine preserves are having a positive effect on the reef fish communities. However, reefs are not just homes for fish. In fact, the astonishing diversity and complexity of coral reefs owes more to the thousands of other organisms that live side by side within the reef matrix. These sedentary or benthic communities sculpt the structurally complex reefs, paint them with astonishing colors, and provide food and habitat for the mobile creatures that reside there. Healthy and intact food webs provide a reef community with the ability to resist or recover from potentially harmful impacts...