June 4, 2002--The beauty and diversity of marine life in and among coral reefs have always held a special attraction for ocean lovers. Nestled among the strangely shaped coral are rainbow-colored parrot fish, odd-looking lionfish, as well as other marine animals such as sea turtles. Because coral reefs have the greatest species diversity of any living system on Earth, they often are called the “tropical rainforests of the ocean.”

“Coral reefs are extremely important ecosystems,” according to Mark Warner, assistant professor of marine biology-biochemistry at the University of Delaware. “They support local fisheries and economies, they contain valuable chemical compounds that may lead the way in the development of new medicines, and they also protect coastlines from damaging storms. However, despite their importance, the world’s coral reefs are being damaged at an alarming rate.”

At 7 p.m., Thursday, June 20, at UD's College of Marine Studies in Lewes, Warner will present “Coral Reefs: Trouble in Paradise?”

The presentation is part of the Ocean Currents Lecture Series, held monthly at the Lewes campus through September.

In his presentation, Warner will highlight many unusual and little-known facts about coral reefs. For example, coral reefs are actually composed of living and growing marine organisms called “polyps.” These polyps can grow individually or as a system of interconnected polyps that share the same stomach.

“The bulk of the coral reef is composed of the calcified skeletons of these polyps,” Warner said. “However, the surface of the reef is covered with a thin veneer of living polyps, which are essentially only two cell layers thick. The polyps produce calcium carbonate or limestone, which is left behind as the polyp grows, building the structure of the reef.”

Warner also will discuss some of the major threats facing coral reefs today. These include over-fishing and destructive fishing practices such as the use of cyanide to capture rare fish for aquariums and dynamiting reefs to capture fish. In addition, coastal development has not only caused increased sedimentation and pollution in the water, which blocks the sunlight that reefs need to grow, but also thousands of pounds of live coral are used for construction purposes every year.

“There is a lot of gloom and doom associated with coral reefs these days,” Warner said. “However, coral reefs, if treated properly, are very naturally resilient and have the ability to recover from stress. There are indications that some reefs, once written off as dead, are showing signs of recovery. A key thing to understand is that the majority of coral reefs are found near developing countries that do not have the money or resources to solve the problems that are threatening coral reefs.”

Warner earned his doctorate in ecology and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Georgia, where he also completed a postdoctoral fellowship prior to joining the College of Marine Studies in September 2001.

The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in Room 104, Cannon Laboratory, at the Hugh R. Sharp Campus, 700 Pilottown Rd., Lewes. The hour-long talk will be followed by light refreshments.

While the lecture is free and open to the public, seating is limited and reservations are required. To reserve a seat, contact the college at (302) 645-4279.