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CORAL REEFS
Almost every one of us have heard and most of you have seen the Coral reefs but did you know what actually these are:
As a mariner its important to know about the marine life, that was one reason I have chosen this topic for my today’s short presentation.
GM, my scheme of presentation will be as flashed:
DEFINATION OF CORAL REEF
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CORAL AND CORAL POLYP
WHERE WE CAN FIND CORAL
CONSTRUCTION OF CORAL REEFS
CONDITIONS FOR GROWTH OF CORAL REEFS
TYPES OF CORAL REEFS
THREAT TO CROAL REEFS
WHAT SHOULD A MARINER DO IN CORAL RICH AREAS
FUTURE OF CORAL REEFS
CONCLUSION
What is a coral reef?
Coral reefs are huge structures made of limestone that is deposited by living things. There are thousands of species that live in coral reefs, but only a fraction actually produces the limestone that builds the reef. Coral reefs support over 25% of all known marine species. They are one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet, and are home to over 4,000 different types of fish, 700 species of coral and thousands of other plants and animals.
A good way to imagine a coral reef is to think of it as a bustling city or community, with the buildings made of coral, and thousands of inhabitants coming and going, carrying out their business. In this sense, a coral reef is like a metropolis under the sea.
What is coral?
Although coral is often mistaken for a rock or a plant, it is actually composed of tiny, fragile animals called coral polyps. When we say "coral" we are actually referring to these animals and the skeletons they leave behind after they die.
Although there are hundreds of different species of corals, they are generally classified as "hard coral" or "soft coral".
Hard corals grow in colonies and are the architects of coral reefs. They include such species as brain coral and elkhorn coral. Their skeletons are made out of calcium carbonate (also known as limestone) which is hard and eventually becomes rock. Hard corals are hermatypes or reef-building corals and need tiny algae called zooxanthellae (pronounced zo-zan-THEL-ee) to survive. Generally, when we talk about "coral" we are referring to hard corals.
Soft corals such as sea fingers and sea whips, are soft and bendable and often resemble plants or trees. These corals do not have stony skeletons, but instead grow wood-like cores for suppor...
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...s are considered as part of a larger watershed, the recognization of the complexity of environmental stresses can be understood. Management plans can be developed to reduce impacts to mangroves, seagrasses and the reef ecosystem, based upon accurate data and a better understanding of the system. EPA is in the process of developing guidance for a watershed approach to coral ecosystem protection.
CONCLUSION
Corals provide shelter for nearly one quarter of all known marine species. The reefs are home to over 4000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other forms of plant and animal life. Living coral reefs are the foundation of marine life, and this also means that they are essential for human life, but all over the world they are dead or dying because people are destroying them at a very fast rate. Already 10% have been lost, and there are predictions that 705 of all corals on the planet will be destroyed in 20 to 40 years unless people stop doing what they are doing now – i.e., pollution, sewage, erosion, cyanide fishing, bad tourism.
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
eggs.
It can take years for one piece of coral to grow back after someone has broken it off the reef. While it 's beautiful, the coral should be left in the ocean where it belongs.
Coral Reefs are said to be the “tropical rainforest” of the sea. They are home to over 25% of all marine life (http://coralreefalliance.org.stories/storyReader$77). Over the past few decades they have been subjected to destructive anthropogenic practices. Some of the major threats to coral reefs include sedimentation, water pollution, harmful recreational activities, and global warming. All of these things cause stress on corals and can potentially cause mortality. Corals are made up of two parts, a polyp and zooxanthellae. A polyp is a calcerous body that grows from a hard part of the ocean floor. Zooxanthellae is a photosynthetic algae which lives in the polyp and provide energy for themselves and the coral. In many cases, corals undergo “bleaching,” which is a process where corals lose the zooxantheallae or chlorophyll pigment, and turn white (Wilkinson et all). After bleaching corals can survive for several months. It is possible for corals to recover by hosting more zooxantheallae, but it can take between 5 and 50 years for them to recover completely (Wilkinson et all, 1999).
This article discusses how important the organisms symbiotic with coral reefs are, as well as how important coral reefs are to our environment. Also explained is how natural and non natural things things like hurricanes and overfishing affects them. A study is quoted about how water acidity also plays a role in the bleaching of corals. Lastly, restoration and conservation efforts are discussed and how we could possibly help our oceans.
There are two kinds of Coral reefs, warm, shallow water reefs that require lots of sunlight and cold, deep ocean water reefs. All natural reefs are a combination of sedimentary rock and calcium carbonate. When we think of coral reefs we imagine the bright, sunny, white sand beaches of the Caribbean but the deep water reefs are inhabited by cold water coral. These coral reefs are created by carbonate secreting animals like black coral, hard coral and octocoral which are the type of coral you will find in the gulf (Georgian). Invertebrates such as algae, sponges and bryozoans, bivalves are some different types of organisms that build these reefs as well. Each of these reef builders are an important part of the reef ecosystem (Science).
A coral reef is a ridge formed in shallow ocean water by accumulated calcium-containing exoskeletons of coral animals, certain red algae, and mollusks. Coral reefs are tropical, forming only where surface waters are never cooler than 20° C (68° F).
Soft corals are grouped in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, and order Alcyonacea. Their distinguishing characteristic is that their polyps always bear eight tentacles which are on both edges fringed by rows of pinnules (Fabricius and De’ath, 2002). The common name “soft coral” comes from the fact that they have no massive external skeleton as compared to the more commonly studied hard corals.
Reefs in their simplest form are composed of rock, coral or sand and are made through an abiotic, biotic, or man-made process. Much like canyons, most reefs are made through an abiotic process. They are naturally made from deposition and erosion caused by waves and other environmental factors. Some of the most popular forms of reefs are coral reefs which are created through a biotic, not to be confused with abiotic, process. Coral reefs are located in tropical waters and are developed through the infestation of coral and calcareous algae along the edges of reefs, atolls, and islands. There are also artificial reefs which are man-made and used enhance the physical complexity of a featureless sea bottom. Artificial reefs attract a diverse collection of organisms, especially fish.
Coral reefs are always found underwater, and they primarily thrive in areas near the equator. They require temperatures between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius, and they depend on sunlight, marine animals and other coral reefs around them to survive. Therefore, the coral reefs exist in only one zone of the ocean, the euphotic zone, also known as the sunlight zone. This is the only zone of the ocean where organisms like corals are able to photosynthesize.
Located in tropical ocean waters, coral reefs provide priceless resources to both human and marine life. They exist in an area about 30 degrees on either side of the equator. Coral reefs are home to more species than any other marine ecosystem. This includes over 1500 types of fish and 500 different types of algae. (Encarta) However, nearly 60% of coral reefs are in serious danger due to both natural and man-made causes.
The Great Barrier Reef is an exemplary model of the famous exotic coral reef seen in a copy of the National Geographic or the popular animated film Finding Nemo. Located on the coast of Australia, it is known as the “largest biological organism in the world” (“Human Impact on the Great Barrier Reef” par. 1). The idea bears that coral reefs are again not an assortment of organisms functioning separately but rather working together to thrive. The groups of coral that are seen in t...
Coral Reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper I will discuss a
Located off the east coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef. It started growing approximately 20,000 years ago and now extends over an area covering 345,000 square kilometers. It was first discovered by James Cook in 1770 when he struck the Endeavour Reef, which led to the scientific community learning of the existence and extent of the reef (Doubilet). The Great Barrier Reef averages forty feet below the surface of the Coral Sea, and is made up of close to three thousand smaller reefs (De’ath, Fabricius, Sweatman, and Puotinen). Coral reefs are the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. In fact, approximately a quarter of marine life depends on coral reefs for both shelter and food (“Corals and Coral Reefs”). Surprisingly, coral reefs only make up seven percent of the Great Barrier Reef (Australian Government).
Almost 40% of the world’s population lives within 100 km of a sea’s coast, benefiting from the environmental assets provided by coral reefs on the shore. The reefs house roughly 1/3 of all marine fish species, creating “biodiversity hotspots that generate an estimated $30 billion a year in revenue, mostly from fisheries and tourism” (Pennisi). It is estimated that some 500 million people depend on coral reefs in some way, with close to 30 million entirely dependent on the benefits of the reefs. But, keeping to the trend of irony in this world, one of the world’s most important ecosystems is on a sharp decline that may result in its ultimately devastating disappearance.
There are examples of corals reefs found all over the Earth in tropical environments. These reefs are divided into three categories; fringing, barrier, and atolls. Fringing coral reefs are relatively close to land and unlike other reefs they do not have a lagoon area. These reefs are frequently found in the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, the Netherlands Antilles is a popular hot spot for diving is Bonaire. At this cor...