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Coral reefs in the Maldives along with the atolls make up the island nation. Maldives is the home to perhaps the most complex and composite coral reef system in the world .These reefs are found in splendid locations .Often one comes across atolls which bear unconventional reefs in the shape of rings .Locally such natural formations are known as faros. They are found in the atoll lagoons and encircled by coral linings.
The coral reefs are regarded as the most varied of all marine ecosystems. These reefs are the habitat of diverse life forms right from sharks, fishes, corals to planktons. Over a thousand different species of fish have been identified in Maldives so far. The total number of species of coral that have been marked in Maldives is approximately 200.
Coral reef exploitation in Maldives is, however, on the rise. The reefs are the home of several marine species, of which some are rarely found. The various species maintain the necessary ecological balance. The marine ecosystems are a rich resource base and play an important role for the tourism industry as well. Their awe inspiring beauty are the foundation of tourism as they remain untouched by human habitation. But this isolation is slowly being intruded upon, and to add to it the alarming rise in environmental pollution is going to cast an effect on it. The coral reefs are the grounds on which the fishing industry is built. Maldives is slowly been gripped by rapid socio economic development, which is casting an adverse effect on the environment. The rise in population and the huge economic gains by virtue of the fishing and the tourism industry and coral mining are sure to leave an indelible mark on the coral reefs.
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