The Coral Sea.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 476, 31 May 1890, Page 3

The Coral Sea.

Amongst those who for years have navigated trading vessels in the coral seas vari ous theoiies are advanced of the nature and extent of tho coral reefs. It will perhaps be of interest in that connection to mention that in a recent paper read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Dr. John Murray, of Challenger fame, discussed the question of the origin of coral reefs and other calcareous formations in recent seas. Calcareous remains are found in great abundance at the sea bottom in shallow waters, but the amount steadily diminishes as the depth increases, until at 4,000 fathoms almost every trace has disappeared, Dr. Murray thinks this is due to solution, as the organisms slowly fall to the bottom. Within 500 fathoms of the surface the ocean everywhere teems with life. This is an important fact to record, as the ill-fated ‘ Greely Expedition ' actually starved within ten feet of abundant food, which might have been obtained by breaking a hole in the ice and using a shirt as a drag. net. Dr. Murray is of opinion that the chief reason why there is such an extraordinary growth of coral in tropical regions is because carbonate of lime is continually produced in large quantity by the action of sulphate of lime in solution on effete products, and that the absence of coral reefs on certain shores is explained by the uprise of cold water due to winds blowing off shore.