These turfs can eventually overgrow and smother the coral reef. With graduate students Megan Scanlin, Craig Aumack and Harlan Miller, along with Stein Fredriksen, a visiting scientist from Norway, Dunton is trying to determine whether nitrogen from coastal watersheds is ending up in reef communities. For the next two years, they will be studying the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary, about 110 miles off the Galveston coast, Stetson Bank, about 40 miles to the northwest and Sonnier Bank, about 50 miles south of the Louisiana coast. One of the largest sources of nutrients on the Gulf Coast is the Mississippi River. Since Sonnier Bank is closer to the river, scientists expect to see higher levels of nutrients in that area than in the Flower Gardens, Dunton said.
Coral reefs are a major economic engine for the tourist industry.
They act as natural barriers, protecting beaches from erosion and storms, and serve as nurseries for economically important species of fish. Considered the equivalent of underwater rain forests, coral reefs also may be a potential source of new medicines. Some researchers believe that creatures living in reef environments may be sources of anti-tumor compounds, while coral themselves could prove useful in grafting bones. Coral reefs support a tremendous array of plant and animal species. Literally thousands of species of invertebrates and tropical fish live on coral reefs.