Essay On Coral Reefs

Submitted By 09bhatiar1

Words: 326

Pages: 2

Open Document

Reef Coral reefs house between 600,000 and 9 million species
25% of marine species rely on coral reefs at some point in their life cycle
32 of the 34 phyla of metazoans live on the reef
65% of marine fishes live in reefs

The most important groups of reef organisms include:
Other cnidarians (gorgonians, soft corals and hydrocorals)
Coralline algae
Calcareous green algae (Halimeda)
Sponges
Molluscs (Tridacna) * Echinoderms (sea urchins, sea cucumbers, starfishers and crinoids) * Crustaceans * Marine worms * Fishes * Bacteria * * Coralline algae are red algae which deposit calcium carbonate within cell walls. They are encrusting and help cement the reef together. They are particularly important on reef crests. * * Sponges help clean and filter surrounding water. They need constant water flow through their bodies and the skeleton can be made of calcium carbonate. They can have endosymbionts. * * Molluscs-Bivalves-Giant clams have a two-part shell and most are filter feeders. Epifauna and infauna. The mantle of a giant clam contains zooxanthellae. * * Molluscs-Gastropods-Nudibranch are shell-less marine gastropods with extremities on back used to breath. Most are carnivorous. * * Echinoderms-Starfish have five-fold radial symmetry and no external skeleton. The endoskeleton is a water vascular system. Starfish have hydraulic vascular system which aids in locomotion (two stomachs, predators). * *

The Benefits Of Stem Cell Research For Healthcare

…...….3 Biodiversity in Coral………………………………………………………………………………4 Figure 2: Food Pyramid of Coral Reefs………………….…………………….……4 Coral Bleaching…………………………………………………………………………………...5 Figure 3: Temperature vs. Time in Relation to Bleaching Thresholds…….….............5 Effects of Coral Bleaching on Biodiversity……………………………………………………….6 Disintegration of Coral Reefs……………………………………………………………………..6 Figure 4: Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Concentration in Sea Surface…

Words 2150 - Pages 9

Coral Reefs Essay

Coral reefs as their primary source of housing and protection. However, it has been reported that large numbers of the coral reef population has been completely destroyed in the past years through a process called coral bleaching. It has also been said that humans may have contributed to the destruction of the Earth's coral reefs both indirectly and directly. Without coral reefs, these fish will be left homeless and the chances of survival for them will decrease dramatically. Coral reefs consists…

Words 966 - Pages 4

Great Barrier Reef Research Paper

Great Barrier Reef The great barrier reef is formed and made of living organisms. Different types of bacteria, sand, lifeforms, corals, fish and plants build up the great barrier reef together. They produce sperm and it flows around the area and lays in a different part of the sea. Some of it will die, some of it will live to become another coral. The great barrier reef has lost at least 50% of its coral in the past 27 years of its life. The coal and gas companies around the reef are forced to dump…

Words 974 - Pages 4

Implications of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reef Systems Essay

Acidification on Coral Reef Systems” Summary “Ocean acidification due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide,” a report compiled by a team of European researchers and published by The Royal Society of London, illustrates the causes as well as the implications of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels upon oceanic ecosystems. In summary, it discusses the sources of worldwide spikes in CO2 levels, sheds light on the effects of rapid pH changes upon fragile coral reef systems, provides calculations…

Words 1602 - Pages 7

Sea Level Rise

in the water. Unluckily for sea grass, sea level rise is bad news as the immobile organisms have to cope with darker waters, a larger volume of liquid means that less photosynthesis inducing light can penetrate. This could mean less food for species, which can only exist in stable sea conditions, which have to consume plants of a species which is slowly moving away. Groups of marine plants and plant-like organisms such as kelp can be very vital as micro-ecosystems for various species of fish, crustaceans…

Words 943 - Pages 4

Mesoamerican Reef Research Paper

With a system so large, what could possibly harm the Mesoamerican Reef system? I will use these next few pages to discuss how species such as the lionfish, and environmental factors like climate change, and bleaching as a result, pose a continuous threat to the wellbeing of the Mesoamerican Reef System. It will be up to us to use our knowledge to mitigate, not eradicate, the effects. Lionfish: Native to the southern and western Pacific, as well as the Indian ocean, It has been reported that the…

Words 996 - Pages 4

How Oil Contaminates Affecting Newbor Newborn's Life

Oil contaminates have hurt a large percent of newborn marine life. Oil contaminates will make surviving for newborns harder. This is important to know because if a sea turtle hatches by an oil soaked beach, oil will get into their eyes and make it difficult for them to find the ocean. This will make them easier prey to any predators around that area. Then if the oil gets on their flippers it will either make them stick to their body or just weigh them down. If their flippers stick to their body…

Words 939 - Pages 4

Coral Reef Essay

Coral reefs are found in mostly tropical areas, but they also inhabit a few non-tropical places in the ocean, like the Red Sea. They are found all over the world. They have some threats, but are very important to the environment. Coral reefs have a huge economic value. They are also very important to the ecosystem. Coral is simple organisms that produce skeletons. Those skeletons are made of the compound calcium carbonate. Coral is very closely related to sea anemones and jelly fish. It can be either…

Words 1073 - Pages 5

William Strachey's The Oyster In Chesapeake History

Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Oysters serve as biofilters, shelter and habitat for other organisms, and prey for numerous predators. The eastern oyster’s population is rapidly declining because of overharvesting and pollution. Restoration projects focus on placing…

Words 1027 - Pages 5

Essay On Ocean Acidification

the name is the ocean experiencing a reduction in pH or raise in acidity. This environmental change as a result can have a direct effect on the organisms living in the ocean. This can directly and indirectly affect both autotrophs, which are self-sustaining organisms. This can also affect heterotrophs, which are organisms that rely on other organisms for food and nutrients. Ocean acidification simply is a reduction of pH that occurs from the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This…

Words 547 - Pages 3