Preview

Coral Reef

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2578 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Coral Reef
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

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Reefs are important ecosystems as the are home to an immense amount of biodiversity and are essential in the cycle of life…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The reef is located off the North-East coast of Queensland, extending from just South of Papua New Guinea (8º South) to just North of Fraser Island (24º South). It consists of multiple reefs, covering a total of 344 000 km². The extent of the reef has made it difficult to survey all impacts of natural and human stress.…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    RG Chapter 33 Invertebrates

    • 1610 Words
    • 14 Pages

    is now known to be polyphyletic, and all sponges belong to either phylum Calcarea or phylum…

    • 1610 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    A coral reef is very crucial; coral reefs have many jobs in the ocean. These are some: “They remove and recycle carbon dioxide…”, Reefs can assist with strong waves and…

    • 1492 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    This is currently the largest and most biodiverse ecosystem in the world, spanning across 348 000 square kilometres of Australia’s Northeast coast. Starting from the top of Cape York (10 degrees 41’ S, 145 degrees E) 2300km down to just north of Bundaberg. Billions of coral polyps form the basis of this intricate biodiverse marine ecosystem, relying heavily on complex biophysical interactions resulting in its vulnerability. There a number of factors leading up to stresses placed upon this ecosystem in particular, human induced…

    • 1912 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Coral Reef

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Coral reef and Desert ecosystem. The coral reef and desert ecosystem can be very similar or very different.The difference between the biotic and abiotic factors in the coral reef and the desert the ones in the coral reef live under water ,and in the desert none of them live under water only some of the fish do. Some of the biotic animals in the coral reef are dolphins and seals. bivalves, gastropods, tunicates, sponges, polychaete and feather duster worms, some corals, sea urchins, some crabs, green sea turtles, and herbivorous fish.Large reef fish, sharks, eels and barracudas. Some of the biotic animals in the desert are the gerbil, jerboa, Cape hare, desert hedgehog, barbary sheep, dorcas gazelle, sand fox, common jackal, spotted hyena, and the slender mongoose. Some of the biotic plants in the desert are the cypress, olive, and mastic trees aacia, artemisia, doum palm, oleander, date palm, and thyme trees. The coral reef is part of an ocean biome which is a big group of very similar ecosystems.…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ecosystem of the reef is fairly straight forward. The main energy source for the producers of the reef (Algae, Kelp, and Plankton) is sunlight and water which provide them with nutrients. The producers provide resourceful energy for organisms (Warreners, Elephant Snail, and Sea Urchin), in order for them to survive. These organisms are eaten by the marine carnivore organisms (Common Sea Star, Dog Winkle) for sufficient energy. Birds and Fish gain their energy by obtaining most of these heterotrophs and autotrophs. The characteristics of the ecosystem play a big part in order for the ecosystem to survive.…

    • 590 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Coral Reef Structure

    • 1471 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Coral reefs are communities to the sea and home to many living creatures and different types of organisms, as well as about one-fourth of the oceans population. Coral reefs are made up of animals called polyps that will remain in one place, acting as the main structure of the reef itself, these animals have a hard almost skeleton like structure. Scientists who study coral reefs have categorized them into three different types of reefs; Barrier reefs, Atolls, and Fringing reefs. Coral reefs are put into these categories based on their size, shaped and close proximity to land. Although corals are grouped together, "An individual coral is known as a polyp, a very small and simple organism consisting mostly of a stomach topped by a tentacle-bearing…

    • 1471 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Coral Reef Research Paper

    • 843 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The first kind of coral reef are fringing reefs, or shore reefs. These reefs grow directly off the shore. A shore reef is the most common kind of reef. Even though these reefs are grown near the shore, human impact can cause harm. These types of reefs can be found surrounding pacific islands. The second kind of reef that can be formed is a barrier reef; this reef is grown linear to the shore, but is usually separated by a lagoon. These types of reefs are less common than the others. An example of a barrier reef is The Great Barrier Reef, which is located off the coast of Australia. The third type of is known as atoll. This type of reef is circular and is often found above a huge lagoon in the deep ocean. These reefs are located in the IndoPacific region and a better example of one can be found in the French…

    • 843 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I don’t know if how many of you know this, but Australia is home of one of the most world renowned coral reefs in the entire world. The name of this coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef it is located parallel to Queensland, Australia and stretches for almost 1430 miles. The Great Barrier Reef is more than just a great tourist attraction it is also home to thousands upon thousands of sea creatures ranging from microscopic plankton to whales and sharks. To list a few numbers relating to Great Barrier Reef animals, the whole reef system supports over 1500 different species of fish, over 4000 different species of mollusk and shellfish, such as clams, crabs and lobster, more than 350 species of hard and soft coral and nearly 200 species of…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As they have been largely affected by recent developments in climate change and pollution, it is crucial that we stabilize the loss of reefs; if not, we will undoubtedly be negatively impacted. In the event that we lose considerably more reefs, we will also lose a large part of the tourism industry. When you think of tourism, beaches most likely come to mind. Whether it be the pristine waters of the Caribbean, or the rougher waves of the Australian coasts, coral reefs are a popular attraction. Aside from tourism, coral reefs supply, many people with food, as they provide varying species of fish with a food source and shelter. If coral reefs disappear, so do the fish they support with food and shelter, which will add to the world’s existing food challenges. Finally, coral reefs are noted for their biodiversity, which means the undiscovered life living there could possibly a possess cure for cancer or other serious…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Coral Reef Essay

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages

    There are fringing, barrier, and atoll. Fringing reefs are attached to margins of an island or continent and is rough. Fringing reefs grow in shallow water near the shore and prefer dry climates. Barrier reefs grow best where the land is sinking faster than the water.The third type of coral reef is the atoll. Atolls consist of a continuous or broken ring of coral reef surrounding a central lagoon. Atolls are unique because they reach to depths of thousands of meters to the ocean floor. The reefs cover only about 1% of the earth’s surface. Lastly, in my research I found out that Scientific reports show that there has been a rapid increase in the damage to reefs in the past 20 years, and scientists believe that in two more decades, the world’s reefs will decline by 30%. Over half the world’s reefs are in danger of human harm, and 27% are at high risk.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ARTICLE2

    • 1034 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Our understanding of coral reefs is now that there aren’t different kinds of coral reefs but rather all coral reefs are in different stages of development.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Coral Reef Research Paper

    • 1846 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Coral reefs have existed on this planet for approximately 450 million years. They provide an extremely diverse marine ecosystem. (Bellwood and Wainwirght2002) Coral reefs are the largest natural structures in the world and occur in over 100 countries. They are the result of a remarkable relationship between coral animals and microscopic algae. The microscopic algae (zooxanthellae) coverts sunlight and carbon dioxide into oxygen (photosynthesis) and carbohydrates for the coral animals (polyps) to use and make into calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate forms marine organisms known as coral. Coral reefs are like underwater jungles that host twenty-five percent of marine species and yet occupy less than one percent of the ocean floor. Coral…

    • 1846 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Coral reefs inhabit many coastal regions around Caribbean islands. These reefs are at once magnificently beautiful yet very fragile and sensitive to even the slightest variation in the waters around it. Coral reefs perform a vital socio- economic and socio-cultural function in the Caribbean. Apart from it being important to human society for its aesthetic appeal, the reefs are also important because of its functions as a tidal break, fish nursery and part of an economic thrust in attracting tourists to the Caribbean.…

    • 687 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays