珊瑚礁与海滩在拉贾安帕特，印度尼西亚 Coral reef and beach in Raja Ampat, Indonesia (© SergeUWPhoto/Shutterstock)

珊瑚礁与海滩在拉贾安帕特，印度尼西亚 Coral reef and beach in Raja Ampat, Indonesia (© SergeUWPhoto/Shutterstock)

细微之举，影响深远 Small footprint, big impact

珊瑚礁意识周

想象一座由动物建造的城市，在阳光下熠熠生辉，并在海浪之下涌动着生命。这就是珊瑚礁。在珊瑚礁意识周（Coral Reef Awareness Week）期间，我们赞美这些非凡的生态系统，以及依赖其生存的无数物种

珊瑚礁仅覆盖了全球不足1%的海床面积，却支撑着约25%的海洋生命。这些看似彩色岩石的物体，实际上是被称为珊瑚虫（Coral polyps）的微小动物集群。它们共同构建了宏大的石灰岩结构，且能延续数千年之久。大堡礁是地球上最大的生物结构，沿着澳大利亚海岸延伸超过1,400英里。

珊瑚礁充满了惊喜。部分珊瑚因含有能起到天然防晒作用的荧光蛋白而发光；而鹦嘴鱼则通过将珊瑚转化为细砂，协助形成了沙滩。若想一窥珊瑚礁生命最丰富的一面，请看向图中所示的印度尼西亚拉贾安帕特（Raja Ampat），那里生长着超过75%的已知珊瑚物种。它们虽栖息于水下，但其影响力远播至海岸线之外。

Coral Reef Awareness Week

Imagine a city built by animals, glowing in the sunlight, and bustling with life beneath the waves. That is a coral reef. During Coral Reef Awareness Week, we celebrate these remarkable ecosystems and the countless species that depend on them.

Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, yet they support roughly 25% of all marine life. What look like colorful rocks are actually colonies of tiny animals called coral polyps. Together, they build vast limestone structures that can last for thousands of years. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth, stretching more than 1,400 miles along Australia's coast.

Reefs are full of surprises. Some corals glow thanks to fluorescent proteins that act like natural sunscreen, while parrotfish help create sandy beaches by turning coral into fine sand. For a glimpse of reef life at its richest, look to Raja Ampat in Indonesia, pictured here, where more than 75% of known coral species thrive. They may live underwater, but their impact reaches far beyond the shore.