According to research sponsored by the University of Helsinki, Finland, areas with different types of corals contribute to fish diversity, suggesting that one ensures the sustainability of the other.

Corals provide a unique food source for some species, as well as a three-dimensional habitat that lots of them use as refuge.

The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B journal, showed that about 40 percent of the world’s tropical reef fish is likely to disappear by starvation, although the remainder could live in rocky habitats.

Another concern by experts is that fish that depend on corals may become prey of those that do not need corals directly for their livelihoods.

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