Consider the following statements – 1. Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters. 2. More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. 3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is Correct: Coral reefs primarily thrive in warm, shallow, clear tropical waters between 30°N and 30°S latitudes, where sea surface temperatures typically remain between 20°C and 30°C.
Statement 2 is Correct: These three countries account for over 40% of the world's coral reef area, with Indonesia holding approximately 18%, Australia 17%, and the Philippines 9%.
Statement 3 is Correct: While rainforests have a higher number of species, coral reefs have greater phyletic diversity, hosting 32 of the 34 recognized animal phyla compared to only about 9 phyla found in tropical rainforests.