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Question:  

What is the importance of coral reefs?

Answer:
Coral reefs are important for many different reasons:
The coral reef is  "biologically diverse"  that means there
 are many different kinds of animals and plants that live theree
 This is important, because just like the tropical rainforests, 
 resources that haven't even been discovered yet, and unless we
 Coral reefs may be the source of medicines, chemicals or other 

 these resources that we need.
     Coral reefs are "biological
 save these environments, we'll never get the chance to discove
rly productive" , which means there are  lots of each thing that grows here.  Many of the creatures that l 
orld!
Coral reefs are beautiful places, and provide income from
 live here, like lobsters and fish, we depend on for food, even  here in the Midwest , and all around the
w  tourists to many otherwise poor countries around the world. Reefs are very stable, and provide a protective barrier around 
ct the reefs we have today, because they
 can't be replaced.
 many islands and coasts. Without the reefs these islands and  coasts will erode away into the ocean. It is important to prot
e Reefs are formed very slowly by tiny animals  called "coral". Each animal is tinier than your pinky nail, and  grows very slowly, only about 1 centimeter a year. The reefs we have 
are big problems.
 today were formed over 100s of thousands of years, and  it would take just as long to grow back, if they grow back at all Oil drilling and erosion from developing coasts near reefs

Source :http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/bio99/bio99276.htm