The modern understanding of coral reefs begins in Charles Darwin’s book, On the
Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs. In this classic book written in 1842, he
distinguished three main types of reef: the fringing reef, the barrier reef, and the atoll.
The fringing reef occurs near the shoreline and basically follows the profile of the
shore. Its stony corals need a firm base on which to establish themselves, and they must
compete with many other sedimentary organisms looking for a firm substrate on which to
settle. In off-shore waters, that substrate is usually provided by the limestone secreted by
earlier stony corals on rock (often volcanic). However, if there is a firm, rocky base
present, as in fringing reefs, sedentary rivals can settle in great numbers without waiting
for reef-building corals to lay the foundations (Stafford-Deitsch 20). Thus, the stony
corals do not have to be the major constituents of the reef. Sponges, soft corals, and
corraline algae are abundant throughout the fringing reef.
Some of the finest fringing reefs in the world are along the edges of the Red Sea,
where the conditions are premier for the growth of the reef. The water is enclosed by
desert. Therefore, there is barely any rainfall to wash either the sand or fresh water into
the sea. Also, there are very little clouds in the area allowing sunlight to reach the surface,
resulting in much warmer water than one might think to find at this latitude. The reefs in
the Red Sea are some of the richest and most diverse. If one were to swim over the crest
(the open-water edge), one might panic being that the reef drops drastically into unknown
depths. Thus, not allowing wave action to stir up much sediment which would damage
the reef being that the sediment settles below the reach of the waves. Little sediment at
the top of the reef causes water to be clear, maximizing the amount of sunlight that
reaches the reef (Stafford-Deitsch 21).
The second type of reef according to Darwin is the barrier reef. It is different than
the fringing reef in one main way: the area between the living coral of a fringing reef and
the shore is the reef flat, but the area between the barrier reef and the shore is a lagoon
(Stafford-Deitsch 21). The lagoon is a relatively shallow area of water, only a few meters
coast (as shown in pictures 1 & 2). The area of sea is subject to the
Earth, an endless source of wonder and beauty, produced the Great Barrier Reef. Hustling and bustling, the Reef thrives like a busy city, teeming with life. Sheltering thousands, corals, maintain the well-being of the Reef; however, the world threatens its nature and delicacy. Populations growing and technological advances increasing, the world becomes more and more disconnected with the natural world, posing an alarming risk for the planet we live on. Although many organizations try to keep the oceans clean, because of human interference and unnatural occurrences, the Great Barrier Reef needs scientific help to adapt corals to new conditions for means of survival, putting pressure on the Australian government to save their ocean environment.
Around the world, their are beautiful places called “the seven wonders of the natural world”. These sites are fantastic because of there fascinating views and the fact that they were naturally made, not by humans. One of these seven natural wonders of the natural world is the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef was formed by corals growing on submerged islands. The sea level then continued to rise, “leading to more corals growing and forming.” (Zimmerman). The Great Barrier Reef is “a mosaic of 2,900 individual reefs” and can be “seen from space and is not only the world's largest coral reef system but also the largest structure
We need coral reefs, and not just to make the ocean look pretty and colourful, they are more than just that…
When you think of the Gulf of Mexico the first thing you don’t think of is coral reefs. You don’t even think of it as place to go surfing. If you ask a surfer what a reef is, they would probably say something that gets in my way while surfing. Reefs being either large or small, have grown for over thousands of years. The build-up of limestone or calcite have given way to magnificent structures that many marine animals call home (Science). Reefs are communities in the ocean where more than hundreds of different ocean species live (Moran). These reefs in the ocean become a community that live alongside each other which allows them to grow. Whether the reef is a place to live, find shelter or a place eat, the reefs of the Gulf of Mexico are truly a wondrous site (Robertson).
easier to determine if the sun is hitting the water or not. It must be hitting a
Coral reefs “form the foundation of all atolls are composed of the skeletons of marine animals which have become fastened onto a rocky substrate in shallow warm water, rich in the calcium used for construction of the skeletons. Most often this attachment is to the skeletons of preceding
Coral reefs are tropical, forming only where surface waters are never cooler than 20° C (68° F). The only difference between a barrier reef and a coral reef is that a barrier reef occurs farther offshore, with a channel or lagoon between it and the shore. The outer layer of a reef consists of living animals, or polyps, of coral. Single-celled algae called zooxanthellae live within the coral polyps, and a skeleton containing filamentous green algae surrounds them. The photosynthetic zooxanthellae and green algae transfer food energy directly to the coral polyps, while acquiring scarce nutrients from the coral.
Rouphael, A.B. and Inglis, G.J., 1997, Impacts of Recreational Scuba Diving at Sites with Different Reef Topographies: Biological Conservation, vol. 82, no. 3, p. 329-336.
Soft corals are very widespread among the Great Barrier Reef and other Indo-Pacific coral reefs. On the Great Barrier Reef they may cover up to 37% of the reef area (Bastidas, et. al, 2001). Even though soft corals are abundant on the Great Barrier Reef they have been overshadowed by the study of hard corals. Very little research has been conducted on them, yet they are just as fascinating as their hard coral neighbors. The main purpose of this paper is to explain why evolution has made it possible for soft corals to reproduce both sexually and asexually. To do this I will first introduce soft corals, then explain the types of reproduction soft corals are capable of, and finally explain why evolution has made it possible for soft corals to reproduce both sexually and asexually, using numerous studies to support my claims. Most of the information on this topic was very species specific, but this paper will explain the reproductive evolution of soft corals in a broader array that will pertain to the scientific order Alcyonacea, or all types of soft corals.
Oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface. The talk of climate change can often seem to focus on what is happening in our atmosphere, but there is a lot of change going on in our oceans. The oceans have absorbed 90% of the excess heat and 28% of the carbon pollution generated by human consumption of fossil fuels (Nuccitelli 2015). The purpose of this paper is to show how the effects of climate change effect the coral reefs in our oceans, with a focus on the coral reef systems in the Caribbean and of the Great Barrier Reef. The Caribbean coral reefs are well known to have suffered more damage between the two reef systems. That’s not to say that the Great Barrier Reef has not suffered its own damage. It has and will continue to suffer in the future.
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.
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...
The leading natural cause of destruction among the coral reefs is global warming. Global warming causes the bleaching of coral reefs to occur. Bleaching is a response to stress by the coral reef that happens when the water becomes to warm. The coral then put out a brownish zooxanthelle which causes them to lose their color. Without the zooxanthelle, the corals cannot provide nourishment for itself and th...
Coral Reefs need to be preserved for many reasons. In this paper I will discuss a