By: Julian, Ryan, Brooklyn, Courtney

Coral Reefs

Atolls

Atolls are one of the three main coral reefs. They are coral islands. Some atolls are big enough that people can live in them. Atolls are shaped like a ring and it lies in the open sea. Some atolls are small and some are big. A whole bunch of atolls live by the tip of India. Atolls are so large that cities are built on them.

Believe these animals

☻ There is a fish in the coral reefs called the Blob fish.

☻Did you know that there is a fish called the ghost shark. This shark is very creepy.

☻Did you know that there is a fish called the parrot fish.

☻Did you know that there is a fish called the booger fish you must think its small.

Coral Reefs

Coral Reefs are structures built underwater, they are formed by animals. The Coral Reefs that stick out of the ocean are large reefs, if you go up close to it you can see tiny animals, they are busy building the reef.

Destroying our coral reefs

Did you know that shipwrecks can destroy our coral reefs? Well they can. Did you know that you are destroying your coral reefs just by fishing or even tourism. Also you are destroying our coral reefs by taking plants and animals and using them for your fish tanks at home.

Ecological Requirements of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs have to have warm water. Some animal and species may survive brief exposures for more extreme temps. The typical limits tolerated for long periods are from 17-34 Celsius such temperate regimes are mainly restricted.

Funtastic Facts

☻Did you know that there is a fish called the blob fish you might think that this fish got its name by how it looks your right.

☻ Did you know that there is a whole bunch of pollution just from our own people that hurts me that people don’t care.

Great Barrier Reef

It can form seven miles out from shore. It creates a barrier between land and sea. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef in the world. This reef is found near Australia. It is longer than 1,250 miles long. It is made up of about 2,500 small reefs. The great barrier reef is one of the biggest thins know to man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Human Effect

Humans effect the Coral Reefs by pouring sewage into the oceans another word for that is pollute. And things that live on sewage is called “bacteria”, bacteria uses up some much oxygen that animals in the Coral Reef can’t breathe. Pollution darkens the ocean, which kills algae, which kills Polyps, which kills other fish. And when tourists want to take pictures, but little did they know their boats break off chunks off Coral, and some tourists break off Coral to take home. And fishers use poison called “Cyanide”, which many people try to stop fishers before it’s too late.

Isopod

Isopods look like big beetles with large claws. The isopod is one of the weirdest things I seen in my whole entire life that’s how weird it is. Isopods have 14 legs that work the exact same, they have so relatives: crayfish, crab, and the kin of shrimp. Isopod are very interesting!

Jellyfish

Jellyfish look like balloons with strings floating around in the oceans. They can also be extremely BIG. Jellyfish hurt very bad when they sting. They sting with their tentacles. Jelly fish can have a very painful sting sometimes it can paralyze you. This can effect your life and the way your body functions. If this effects you you will be in a lot of pain.

Keeping Our Reefs Clean

Do you want to help save our coral reefs? Well now you can. You can save them by not destroying them and by not polluting them. Also you can help save our reefs by not littering. So if you follow these ways to keep our coral reef clean you can save more animals and plants in the coral reef.

Location

Coral reefs are found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Indian oceans (including the red sea). However unlike the Caribbean and Pacific oceans no land barriers effectively (from a genetic standpoint) isolate the tropical pacific and the Indian ocean regions. There are many found near the equator this is were the warmest coral reefs are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Manowar jellyfish

Manowar jellyfish are one of the known jellyfish to be most deadly. They have very long tentacles on there body this helps for hunting and paralyzing there prey. They also help when it comes to stinging people these jellyfish pack a punch when they sting and leave a nasty scar.

Now on our way to Recovery

Recovery is when something is getting better so let’s just say the Coral Reefs are getting better from the last oil spill, let’s hope there is no more of those, but anyway the Coral Reefs are getting better and the Coral Reef has enough fish that the Coral Reef will keep going.

Oil Spills

Oil spills happen lately they have happened in the Gulf of Mexico, New Zealand, and in Brazil. Oil spills pollute the oceans which is very bad for the Coral Reefs because it kills the fish. Many animals that land in these oil spills can be hurt for the rest of its life know that’s bad cause what if some almost extinct bird(s) then what can they do that’s sad.

Polyps One Coral animal is called a Polyp, Polyps are

small, soft animals, with a short tube that has tentacles at the top of their body. Tentacles are located at the mouth or head, tentacles are long, and flexible. For another Polyp to form, a bump forms on one Polyp and it grows larger and larger, then ba-bam a new Polyp. Polyps like to eat Zooplankton. If I was a Polyp and I die a new Polyp lays and uses my base to grow higher and wider. Reefs are made up of a large group of Polyps and cups.

Quick Facts

☻ Coral Reefs are destroyed a lot by tourists, boats, and by other animals.

☻ Watch out for some of these fish and other creatures in the ocean. Also because they can hurt you.

☻ Trigger Fish can be harmful.

Reef Shark (also known as White Tip reef shark)

Reef sharks can be know as the white tip reef shark to but many people call them the reef shark. Coral reef sharks can be light grey to light brown on the dorsal side, and white to yellow on the ventral side. This shark has a thing called the lateral line this helps the sharks catch foods for its self. This lateral line is a line that looks like polka-dots on the sharks side.

Sharks

There are many types of sharks but the most common shark of all is the great white shark the beast of the sea the alpha male its all of these things. It’s the most dangerous shark of the whole entire world that’s how dangerous it is. Some sharks are going extinct and we need to help it but all we do is hunt for these creatures of the ocean so please help us for our fish to!

Trigger Fish

Known scientifically as a very mean fishy, these solitary creatures have been known to attack divers and inflict serious injury. Some divers return with holes in their fins (these fish seems attracted to colorful fins, which actually reduces the risk of personal injury) while most divers have been knocked out cold or suffered from the bite of a Trigger Fish. Some wounds were so bad that they had to be treated. That’s scary!!!!!!

Underwater Caves

Under water caves are where many animals live like octopuses, sharks and squids maybe even anything. Sometimes these types of fish or mammals come here to come here to mate. Under water caves are formed by a period of time, tides smashes the rock and erodes it. Gradually it forms under water caves!!!! That’s the answer to how under water caves are formed!!!

Volcanic Tubes

Wonderpus

Wonderpus the octopus – It was found in 2006 by Christine Huffard found this octopus. Habitat is in the areas of sand often black sand. They live in the Bahamas in the burrows in the sand. Sometimes it’s confused for the mimie octopus. Total length is usually 15-25 cm. most active early morning and late afternoon. Not really seen during middle day or at night. Quickly burry often seen in 20-40 feet of water.

X-treme facts ☻Jellyfish look like balloons with strings

floating around in the oceans. They can also be x-tremely BIG.

☻The Manowar jelly fish is one of the most deadliest jelly fish in the world.

☻Did you know that the blob fish doesn’t have many bones or even muscles so basically they sit in the water all day but they some times move but not many times.

Yes, it’s time to save the reefs

We can save the Coral Reef by not polluting the oceans, and by

Zooplankton

Zooplankton float at the top of the surface. Polyps like to eat these tiny animals called Zooplankton. They are so small that you’ll have to use a microscope (you’ll have to zoom in about 27 times).

References

http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/c/co/coral_reef_locations.jpg

http://www.coral-reef-info.com/types-of-coral-reefs.html

http://www.athro.com/sci/atoll.html

http://www.coral-reef-info.com/image-files/atoll3.jpg

http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/images/coral_polyp_1.jpg

http://blog.enn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/solscenic_11_lg-798605.jpg