It is believed to harbor 250 species of coral, 500 of fish and 600 of mollusks, many of them unique in the world.

FORBES: Life

These calcified deposits can grow to enormous sizes over long periods of time and form coral reefs -- one of the world's most productive ecosystems, which can harbor more than 4, 000 species of fish and many other marine life forms.

CNN: Report: Coral almost as genetically complex as humans