Coral reefs are some of the amazing, diverse marine ecosystems that provide both food and shelter to a diverse number of sea creatures. Coral reefs are often called the "Rainforests of the Sea" occupying a tenth of a fraction of the world's oceans, yet these reefs support a huge number of sea life. Like rain forests, coral reefs are fragile because its very existence depends on the conditions present in our ocean waters. Environmental threats like rising water temperature, overfishing and runoff make these ecosystems prone to lasting damage for years to come.
To bring awareness of the coral reefs' delicate nature, the US Postal Service has released four new Coral reef postcard stamps. These stamps show the types of corals and the fish that depend on these corals. We hope that these stamps will remind us to appreciate the diversity of our coral reefs.