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The emperor angelfish, Pomacanthus imperator.

This theory proposes that an area of exposed limestone, acted upon by the weak carbonic acid produced by rainfall, would take the shapes Darwin's theory attributes to reef growth. When the water level subsequently rose, corals would colonize the already shaped and eroded limestone. (See illustration at left.)

One of the great appeals of this theory to scientists is that it can be tested in the laboratory. Weak acid applied to a flat-topped block of calcareous rock will tend to erode it into the shape of a saucer, the acid acting to a greater degree in the center than at the edges. It also better explains some of the structures, like blue holes, found in Caribbean reefs.

Products from the Sea

Indonesians have always been sea-farers, and for an archipelagic nation, the ocean is still its greatest resource. Fish provides the main source of protein to Indonesia's 204 million people. The waters off Indonesia are thought to be able to support a fishing industry of 5 million tons a year, with actual catches just 20 percent of this.