Coral ReefAbdulrahman Darwish

A Brief Description.Coral Reefs are a type of biome. They are underwater

structures, which are made from calcium carbonate. They are colonies of tiny living animals found in clear tropical oceans. They need sunlight to survive and so can only survive in shallow water. There are three types of reefs, fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atoll reefs.

http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/coralreef.html 

Different types of Reefs.Fringing reefs are found in the shorelines of

continents and islands. Examples of where you can find fringing reefs are Hawaii and the Caribbean.

Barrier reefs are found further offshore then fringing reefs and can be found in the Caribbean and in the Indo-Pacific ocean. A very famous barrier reef is found near Australia.

Atoll Reefs are also found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. They are a group of low coral islands near a central lagoon.

http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/coralreef.html

Map of Coral Reefs.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/coralreef/coralreef.shtml

Abiotic Factor The most important part of the reefs are the rocks.

They lay in a sequence and provide the proper waterfront for coral to grow and spread. Another important abiotic factor for this biome to succeed is the amount of light it gets from the sun. Also the amount of salt and temperature of the water are very important. These will decide the type of fish that can live in the coral reef. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is famous because it has the perfect amount of light and water temperature to let many types of fish to live there.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5474733_abiotic-biotic-characteristics-reefs.html

Types of Animals.There are many types of fish that live and have adapted in Coral Reefs. Three of

them are:1.Clownfish: Colorful fish that live among sea anemone. They disturb the

poisonous tendrils of the sea anemone. The fish work as a team to protect the smaller fish. Their bright colors help them hide from predators inside the coral reef.

2.Lobster: A hard-shelled marine animal with no back bone and 10 jointed legs. The temperature of the waters in coral reefs allow the lobster to grow. They feed on many types of fish that live on the coral reef. Also they easily crawl under the rocks to hide from the predators.

3.Squid: Is a fast-swimming sea animal with no back bone and with ten arms. They change the color of their skin to be like the surrounding to hide from predators.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/coralreef/coralreef.shtml

Types of Plants. 1.Algae: This is the most common plant found in Coral Reefs. It is

also known as seaweed. Many of the sea animals that live there feed on this. There are different types of algae depending on the part of the world. Some sea animals use algae for shelter and hiding from predators.

Sea grasses: Sea grass is the only flowering plant that lives in the sea floor it has roots that are underneath the sea floor. Many of the fish in the reef live between the sea grass.

Mangroves: This plant grows near the shores of the Coral Reefs. They provide food and shelter for the animals.

http://www.coral-reef-info.com/coral-reef-plants.html

www.seagrasswatch.org/seagrass.html

The Animals

The Plants

Resources in Coral Reefs1. Food: There are many types of fish that live in

the Coral Reef that people love to eat.2.Pets: There are many beautiful fish that live in

the Coral Reef that people use for aquariums and in their homes.

3.Medicne: Medicine can be made from coral reef organisms that help to treat illnesses, such as heart diseases, ulcers and cancer. Also the structure from the Coral Reef is used in bone surgery.

www.coral.org/resources/about_coral_reefs/why_care

How has Science Helped?Science has helped make equipment that people

can dive under the water and discover what lives and grows in the coral reefs. Science has also helped to find what these organisms that live in the Coral Reef are made of and how they can help in curing sickness. Also science has helped us to find out what the Coral Reef is made of and so we can use it in bone surgery.

No site used

FishingFishing in the Coral Reef has been a major problem as

people overfish and they are ruining the cycle of the Coral Reef! Fishing is done either for food or for having beautiful pets. People want to make money and don’t care about the amount of fish being taken. Every year there are less and less fish that live in the Coral Reef.

No site used

Tourism The Coral Reefs are beautiful so it attracts many

tourists. More tourists means more pollution as they do not take care of the beaches. When more tourists come more boats and jet skis come and picnic on the beaches which are harmful to the fish and the Coral Reef. Many hotels are being built around the Coral Reefs and although tourists are harming the Coral Reefs people want to make money.

No site used.

How to save Coral ReefsWe could save Coral Reefs by not polluting the

oceans and make sure the tourists have strict rules to stop them littering.

There should be rules on times when to fish so that the fish can grow.

Also make people aware of the dangers of the Coral Reefs if more people know about it more people will help.

http://reefrelief.org/programs/