Which one of the following does NOT illustrate the importance of the Coral Reef?
- A.They provide employment to the people
- B.They supply building materials
- C.They protect shoreline from storms
- D.They protect communities from earthquakes
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, They protect communities from earthquakes. Earthquakes start deep in the Earth's crust, and a reef in shallow water can do nothing to stop or soften the ground shaking.
Coral reefs are built by tiny animals called polyps, which live with algae (zooxanthellae) and lay down calcium carbonate skeletons in warm, clear, shallow tropical seas. They cover a tiny part of the ocean floor but shelter about a quarter of all marine species, which is why they are called the rainforests of the sea. In India they are found in the Gulf of Mannar, the Gulf of Kachchh, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
A is wrong: reefs do support jobs, through fishing, tourism and diving.
B is wrong: coral rock and sand have long been used as building material on islands such as the Maldives and Lakshadweep.
C is wrong: reefs do act as natural breakwaters, absorbing wave energy and protecting coasts from storms and erosion.
Exam tip: reefs help against waves and storm surges, never against earthquakes; bleaching follows warmer seas.
Practice Questions
View allWith reference to Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, Sultanpur National Park, Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary and Wadhwana Wetland, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. All of them are Ramsar sites.
2. All of them are naturally formed wetlands.
3. All of them are birding sites.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 3 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Statement 1 is right: all four were declared Ramsar wetlands of international importance in 2021, Sultanpur and Bhindawas in Haryana, and Thol and Wadhwana in Gujarat.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is NOT a cause of depletion in groundwater ?
- A.Afforestation
- B.Loss of forests
- C.Excessive pumping of groundwater
- D.Construction of large scale concrete buildings
Show answer
Planting trees helps recharge groundwater: roots and leaf litter slow the run-off and let rain soak into the soil and down to the aquifers.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs related to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals :
I. Goal 1 : End poverty in all forms everywhere
II. Goal 2 : Ensure healthy lives
III. Goal 3 : Ensure quality education
IV. Goal 4 : Achieve gender equality
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.One
- B.Two
- C.Three
- D.All the four
Show answer
Only pair I is correct; pairs II, III and IV each give a goal the theme of the next goal.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is NOT a reason of decrease in biodiversity?
- A.Large scale deforestation
- B.Exploitation of forest produce
- C.Maintaining sacred groves
- D.Encroachment in forest areas
Show answer
Sacred groves are patches of forest protected by local communities for religious reasons, so they conserve biodiversity instead of reducing it.
Read the full explanation →The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by the UNO in place of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 2015, aim to achieve the 17 goals by the year
- A.2020
- B.2030
- C.2040
- D.2050
Show answer
The SDGs form the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN member states in September 2015.
Read the full explanation →