Have you ever traveled to Okinawa islands of Japan? This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. Travelers go there to enjoy the beautiful nature. One tourist spot that attracts thousands of tourists is marine aquarium and coral farm. Coral reef plays very important role in the marine ecosystem. Yet coral reef community is facing many threats from irresponsible fishing, predators and global warming. Massive coral bleaching that happened several years ago was the result of El Nino.
It takes tens of years to restore the growth of coral reef in the already damaged region. Marine biologists, scuba divers and every concerned individual have worked hard to help corals grow again. In Okinawa Japan, there is a coral farm that is run by Kouji Kinjyou. He grows corals in ponds. It takes up to two to three years until tiny corals can be transplanted into the damaged corals to restore them again. The pictures in this article were taken from NHK Japan
If the transplantation of coral runs well, the next two years, on the full moon of the second spring, coral will spawn and release their eggs. The coral eggs will be carried away to many distant places to grow again to form new communities of coral reefs.
Coral reefs are very important as food supplier for fish and other marine animals. They also have become the main attraction for scuba diving tourists who want to enjoy the natural beauty of the under water world. by Charles Roring in Manokwari of West Papua - Indonesia
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