The Coral Reef

The Coral Reef

• The Coral Reef is Coral reefs are warm, clear, shallow ocean habitats that are rich in life.

Map

The coral reef is the pink bits.

3 Species • Sea Snakes: Sea Snakes are Snakes that can spend there time

underwater for 2 hours between breathes.

• Dolphin: Irrawaddy and Indo-pacific Humpback Dolphins feed on fish in shallow water, especially in estuaries or river mouths.

• Birds: White-breasted sea eagles live on the coast and on the islands. They find it hard to take off from the water, so they fish by snatching their prey from the water's surface.

3 Plants• Coral: They are giant clams can grow to be more than 1 metre long and can be at least 70

years old. They are the largest bivalve mollusc that has ever existed on the planet.

• Seaweed: Seaweeds contain many compounds useful to humans: carrageenans or agar (from red seaweeds) or alginates (from brown seaweeds) are used in ice cream, instant puddings, salad dressings, printers ink, cosmetics, in pharmaceuticals and to coat pills. Most seaweeds are not poisonous to humans but a few such as Caulerpa, are poisonous to grazing animals.

• Seagrass: Seagrasses are different to seaweeds and algae because they have true roots and they are flowering plants. Seagrasses are the only flowering plants in the whole sea. They are important food for turtles and dugongs.

Abiotic Factors of the Coral Reef• The Temperature: of the Coral Reef’s Water is about 25 – 29 Celsius. The type of Coral's you find

in the Great Barrier Reef are hermatypic corals - meaning they contain zooxanthellae algae and are colorful. These corals can lve in the range water of 18 – 33 celsius.

• Nutrients: Coral Reefs only survive in Clear Water, with low sediments, These waters would not naturally have many animals living in them but because of the lack of nutrients, but since corals live here, many thousands of animals survive by eating the coral, or the animals that eat the coral.

• Light: Light is really important for coral reefs The reason corals are able to survive in non-nutritious water is because of the zooxanthellae algae produces food for the coral as well as for itself. In order to photosynthesize to produce food however, the algae needs light. Without light, this whole ecosystem cannot exist.

• Salinity: Coral reefs tend to live in salty water, surviving in a range of 27 – 40 parts per thousand but preferring at 36 ppt.

• Wave Motions: Wave motions help take away the waste in the Coral Reef and bring food.

How has science helped to discover the resources that we can use?

• Science has helped us understand the elements of the matters and how to utilize them for our benefits.

human activities that affect your biome.

• Coral Reefs around the world are dying. In particular, Coral mining, pollution, overfishing, blast fishing and digging of canals and access into islands and bays are serious threats to these eco-systems. 10% of the world’s reef is already dead and is estimated that about 60% is in high risk.

• Once an Oil Spill happened in one of The Coral Reefs, so there was a coal-carrying ship that strayed outside a shipping lane in protected waters and was leaking oil on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and was in danger of breaking apart.

• Coral Mining Mining also destroys coral. Sometimes coral pieces are removed for use as bricks or road-fill, or, sand and limestone from any of the coral reefs are made into cement for new buildings, but corals aren't only removed from their habitat for construction, they are also sold as souvenirs. Coral curios and jewelry are often sold to tourists and exporters in the markets.

How has use of natural resources affected the environment, Economics, or Society?

• Oil Spills has affected the Coral Reefs and is causing pollution to the sea.

• Cutting down trees makes pollution to the air and after all trees have been destroyed, then there will be no more oxygen.

• Natural resources built large economies and brought income to many countries by exporting these natural resources like Oil, Diamonds, Coals and many many more.

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