The Weedy Sea Dragon is the only species belonging to the Phyllopteryx genus. This fish species is a close relative of the seahorse and the Leafy Sea Dragon. It is found in different states of Australia.
NOAA is working to understand and address key threats to coral reef ecosystems: the impacts from global climate change, unsustainable fishing practices and pollution. The top threats to coral reefs â global climate change, unsustainable fishing and land-based pollution â are all due to human activities. These threats, combined with others such as tropical storms, disease outbreaks, vessel damage, marine debris and invasive species, exacerbate each other.
Coral bleaching and ocean acidification are two climate-related impacts to coral reefs. One of the most important threats facing coral reefs on a global scale is a big one: climate change. Scientists agree that climate change is real, and this spells real trouble for the worldâs coral reefs. The global average combined land and ocean surface temperature for the month of June 2010 was the warmest on record. Global ocean temperature has risen by 1.3Â°F since the late 19th century and is continuing to climb. Rising (or even falling) water temperatures can stress coral polyps, causing them to lose algae (or zooxanthellae) that live in the polpysâ tissues.