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 reefs are particularly fragile ecosystems, partly due to their sensitivity to water temperature. When corals are physiologically stressed-as is the case when water temperatures are elevated-they may lose much of the their symbiotic algae, an event known as bleaching..oral Reefs: the Tropical Rainforests of the Sea Coral reefs are often called the tropical rainforests of the sea for their astounding richness of life.