Coral Reef

Logan Fraser

Coral Reef

• Exoskeleton animal• Underwater structures that are biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates.• (CaCO3)

How are they made?

• Primary reef-builders are known as the scleractinian (or "hard") corals.

• As adults, individual hard coral polyps are very small, averaging about the size of a pencil eraser. However, these animals exist as part of a much larger, cohesive colony.

Close up view of hard coral polyps with feeding tentacles exposed.

How are they made?

• coralline algae

• in some cases they comprise almost half of the biomass of the reef framework.

Animals that benefit from Coral Reefs

• Sponges• Sea anemones• Bryozoans(microscopic invertebrates)• Flatworms and polychaetes• Sea stars, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins• Shrimps, crabs, and lobsters• Octopuses, squids, clams, scallops, marine snails, and nudibranchs• Schooling and solitary fishes• Sea turtles• Sea snakes

Famous Coral Reefs

• The Great Barrier Reef• Belize Barrier Reef• New Caledonia Barrier Reef• Andros, Bahamas• Red Sea Coral Reef

Threats to Coral Reefs

• Pollution • Disease• Over-fishing• Dynamite and cyanide fishing • Sedimentation• Bleaching caused by rising ocean temperatures

Reasons to save

Works cited• "5 Stunning Coral Reefs of the World." Aquaviews - Online SCUBA Magazine —

Bringing You The Other 70% Of Our World. Aquaviews and LeisurePro, 2010. Web. 08 May 2011. <http://aquaviews.net/explore-the-blue/5-stunning-coral-reefs-of-the-world/>.

• Alevizon, William. "Coral Reef Formation." Coral Reefs | Coral Reef Facts And Information. Alevizon, Dec. 2010. Web. 09 May 2011. <http://www.coral-reef-info.com/coral-reef-formation.html>.

• "CORAL REEF DESTRUCTION WORLDWIDE." Catastrophe Map - Let the End Times Roll. 1995. Web. 09 May 2011. <http://www.catastrophemap.org/coral-reef-death.html>.

• "Coral Reef Facts." ::Planetary Coral Reef Foundation:: PCRF. PCRF, 2002. Web. 09 May 2011. <http://www.pcrf.org/reeffacts.html>.

• "Coral Reef, Photos of Coral Reef, Coral Reef Pictures." Nature Pictures, Nature Photos, Wildlife Nature Photography. Nature Pictures, 2008. Web. 08 May 2011. <http://www.nature-pictures.org/en/Coral-reef/>.

• "CORALS&CORAL REEFS - Reef Ecosystem." SeaWorld/Busch Gardens ANIMALS - HOME. Sea World. Web. 08 May 2011. <http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/coral/reef-ecosystem.htm>.