Consider the following statements : 1. Most of the world's coral reefs are in tropical waters. 2. More than one-third of the world's coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines. 3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Option (D) is correct because coral reefs primarily thrive in warm tropical waters (20°C–32°C), and the combined reef areas of Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines account for approximately 44% of the global total. While tropical rainforests have more total species, coral reefs host a higher diversity of animal phyla (32 out of 34) compared to rainforests (approximately 9), making statement 3 scientifically accurate. Option (A) is the most tempting distractor because candidates often confuse species richness—where rainforests excel due to insect populations—with phyletic diversity, leading them to incorrectly dismiss the third statement. The core concept tested is the geographical distribution and comparative biodiversity of marine versus terrestrial ecosystems.