The Great Barrier Reef

Lauren PiroAP Environmental Science

Period 7

Climate● Tropical Climate● Two distinct seasons

○ Winter■ May - October■ Warm temperatures and low rainfall■ Dry Season■ Average temperature between 57°F & 78°F■ Average 3-4 inches of rain

○ Summer■ November - April■ Extremely sunny with hot temperatures and high

rainfall■ Wet Season■ Average temperature between 75°F & 91°F■ Average 14-15 inches of rain

Background● The Great Barrier Reef is located in

Queensland, Australia ● Its coordinates are 18.2871° S, 147.6992° E● It’s a coral reef biome

○ In shallow, clear part of the ocean○ In a tropical area○ Huge amount of biodiversity

■ Plants■ Fish

Climate (continued)Average Precipitation of the Great Barrier Reef

Climate (continued)Average Temperature of the Great Barrier Reef

Abiotic Facts● Buoyancy and Viscosity

○ Buoyancy is the force that supports the weight of an organism while viscosity is the resistance to the movement of the seawater and its currents. Together, these factors contribute to the movement of fish and sea mammals

● Light Penetration○ Light penetrates only about 20 meters deep

● Water Density○ Water density changes with depth,

controlling what organisms can live in what densities

Plants● A variety of algae is always present in coral reef ecosystems● It is essential to the formation and survival of coral reefs ● The term algae consists of a diverse group of organisms, each having their own names● Red Algae ( scientific name Rhodophyta) adapts to its environment by varying its

pigment to help it absorb sunlight. Red algae can be found in the shallowest and deepest parts of a coral reef ecosystem

Animals● The Great Barrier Reef is home to countless animals, these are a few:● Marine Fish

○ Clown Fish (scientific name Amphiprioninae) ■ The Clownfish has adapted to its biome by finding shelter in the poisonous sea anemone. They

lay their eggs on rocks near the anemone so predators can’t reach them.

● Marine Reptiles○ Green Sea Turtle (scientific name Chelonia Mydas)

■ The largest marine turtle, grows to about 4 feet and weighs up to 440 pounds. Its front limbs are flipper like and are used to quickly propel the turtle through the water

● Marine Mammals○ Spinner Dolphin (scientific name Stenella Longirostris)

■ The dolphin’s coloration helps it hide from predators. Its undersides are pale while their upper bodies are darker, enabling them to blend in with surroundings above and below them.

Animals (continued)

Clown Fish

Spinner Dolphin

Green Sea Turtle

Relationships● Predator-Prey Relationship

○ A predator is an organism that eats another organism. The prey is the organism that the predator eats.○ In the Great Barrier Reef, the White Tipped Reef Shark is at the top of the food chain. They nocturnally

feed on anything they find, large and small. They hunt in groups and usually go after sleeping fish deep inside the reef.

○ http://www.arkive.org/whitetip-reef-shark/triaenodon-obesus/video-08a.html■ Watch 1:10 - 2:40

http://www.arkive.org/whitetip-reef-shark/triaenodon-obesus/video-08a.htmlhttp://www.arkive.org/whitetip-reef-shark/triaenodon-obesus/video-08a.html

Relationships (continued)● Mutualism

○ Mutualism is an interaction between two organisms in which both organisms benefit from the presence of the other.

○ The Orange Coral Crab, also known as the Coral Guard Crab, and coral have a mutual relationship. The Orange Coral Crab can only live in and feed off of one type of coral clump, the orange coral. The coral benefits from this relationship because the crab cleans it and protects it from predators, which prevents the coral from being overeaten.

○ https://youtu.be/9gpEcFrgE_U

https://youtu.be/9gpEcFrgE_Uhttps://youtu.be/9gpEcFrgE_U

Relationships (continued)● Commensalism

○ Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.

○ An example of this in the coral reef biome is the glass shrimp and the chocolate chip sea star. The glass shrimp, which is almost completely transparent, attaches itself to the chocolate chip sea star and adopts its coloration. This helps the shrimp camouflage itself and hide from predators. The sea star neither gains nor loses anything from this relationship.

○ https://youtu.be/QzlWnCwk6nQ and https://youtu.be/wCKTTEQNuqw

https://youtu.be/QzlWnCwk6nQhttps://youtu.be/wCKTTEQNuqwhttps://youtu.be/QzlWnCwk6nQ

Speciation● Divergent Evolution

○ The process by which a species evolves into two or more different forms. They trace back to a common ancestor.

○ The Mbuna Cichlid fish started to differentiate slightly before they turned into a completely new looking fish.

Bibliography● "Great Barrier Reef Weather & Climate." Great Barrier Reef Weather & Climate.

N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.● "The Great Barrier Reef - Average Weather and Precipitation | AbsoluteVisit."

AbsoluteVisit. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.● "The Major Biotic & Abiotic Components of the Ecosystem of the Great Barrier

Reef." Our Everyday Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.● By Trapping Suspended Sediments and Slowing Water Movement These Plants Also

Benefit Nearby Coral Reefs by Reducing Sediment Loads in the Water. "Coral Reef Plants." Coral Reef Facts and Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

● "Coral Reefs." Predators and Prey. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.● "Mutualism." Mutualism. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.