Coral Reef Biome Research Paper

Coral reefs are about 6% of the Great Barrier Reef. However the warmer the air and the water temperature is the more corals it kill. This is a major concern because of the damages it can cause other creatures using corals as a home and protection from predators. Many sea creatures could become extinct if there are no coral reefs.

The ocean is two-thirds of our planet a vast blue landscape home to many biomes which according to Boyce Thorne-Miller “(ecosystem types) corresponding to sets of environmental conditions that vary with depth, latitude, and longitude” (16). However, the ocean and its biomes is under attack from the changing environment. We can see this through coral reef biomes as they make their home near the shores. Through coral reefs we can view the effects that these changes have on the ocean through how the coral reef biome is affected. Humans are a danger to the coral reefs and the wildlife that resides in the biome. The pollution being released into the environment is poisoning the coral and causes death and malformation to the wildlife. The ocean is changing due to global warming which is causing a change in the temperature and rising water levels leading to a change in the stabile areas coral can survive. The increasing acidification of the ocean is causing the coral reefs to die. I will be looking at the effects these issues cause to coral reefs biomes and the ocean to see the similarities in how they affect both.

Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet. There are more than 25,000 known species of organisms and countless others that have yet to be identified (Helvarg, 2000). Reefs thrive on the shallow edge of tropical seas, most often on the eastern edge of continents along warm water currents that brush the coasts. Reefs cannot live in cold waters and are limited by ocean depth and available sunlight. Coral is the foundation of the reef community, providing a three-dimensional structure where thousands of species of vertebrates and invertebrates live and feed. Some species of coral are hard, while others soft. Some are branched, yet others are compact and rounded. Coral is made up of large

Consisting of less than 1% of the world oceans, the coral reefs are ancient animals comprising of thin calcium carbonate deposits within the photic layer. Aside from its biologically diverse ecosystems, coral reefs are major source of food for millions and provides habitats and nursery areas for many marine organisms. Coral reefs also act as a physical buffer to protect the coastlines from tropical storms and erosion. In addition, many local communities rely on coral reefs to generate an income through activities such as fishing and diving. However, 75% of the coral reefs are under threat from induced impacts of humans and climate change (Burke, et al., 2011). This essay looks at the human impacts constantly being inflicted on coral reefs.

First, I am going to talk about the importance of coral reefs. Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. They are home to 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard coral, and hundreds of other species. Scientists believe that there are another 1 to 8 million unidentified species (NOAA). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, new drugs are being developed from

The purpose of this research is to apply the knowledge learned about the ecology of the Hawaiian Coral Reef to a real-life situation. The coral reef stretches over 1,000 miles in the Pacific Ocean. In the Pacific Ocean, near the 124 islands of Hawaii, is the Hawaiian Coral Reef, which covers nearly 1,200 miles. Out of all the coral reefs in the world, the Hawaiian reef consists of 85% of all reefs. Coral Reefs are made of organisms, coral, and limestone skeletons. 25% of organisms are not existent anywhere else in the world. Abiotic factors are nonliving things, and abiotic factors of a coral reef are depth, light, wave motion, salinity, and temperature of the ocean. Biotic factors, living factors, is the whole coral reef,

living in their bodies. These plants help feed the corals, soak up their wastes and

The biodiversity is very high in coral reefs. A coral reef takes about one percent of the ocean, but it has around twentyfive percent marine life. This means a lot to the coral reefs because the more species can lead to better conditions. There are many different kinds of fish that may eat algae, which can protect the coral. Bigger fish or even sharks keep the population of smaller fish in good hands. Some fish can hurt the zooxanthellae. Then there are “cleaners” that eat up dead organisms and keep the reef look nice.

Coral reefs are wonderful places in the ocean they can be found in shallow water where it is warm and unpolluted. Funny thing is even though they look like plants they are living organisms. There are many kinds like lettuce coral, fire coral, and leather coral. There is also a lot of sea life like cuttlefish, manta ray, and reef whitetip shark. Speaking of sharks, the coral reef is also where many sharks feed.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef ecosystem. This reef is located off of the coast of Queensland, Australia in the Coral Sea. The system is made up of about 2,900 individual reefs. It is the worlds biggest single structure made of living organisms. This reef system is so large it can be seen from outer space!

Coral reefs around the world are in danger. One of the causes is global warming, which has been increasing the temperature of the ocean water resulting in coral bleaching. This essay will focus on damage occurring to the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is located south of Queensland and covers almost 350 000 km2 in area, extending into both the above airspace and the ground under the seabed. It contains 3000 coral reefs, 600 continental islands, 300 coral cays and around 150 inshore mangrove islands (GBRMPA, 2015). It also includes the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, extending over 14 degrees of latitude between estuarine and deep water areas and covering 2300 km. The largest living structure in the world, the Great Barrier Reef evolved over a millennia and is “one of the richest and most complex natural ecosystems on earth” (DE, 2015), containing 600 types of soft and hard corals, 100 species of jellyfish, 3000

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It stretches to 2300km which means it can be seen from outer space. It provides a home for a huge number of plants and animals. Some of these include turtles, crocodiles and algae. The Great Barrier Reef is made up of 2900 reefs and 900 islands.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s seven natural wonders and is the largest reef system and the biggest living structure on the planet. It covers an impressive area of 344, 400 square kilometers and is so large that it can be seen from space. It includes the world’s largest collection of corals with more than 400 different kinds of corals, coral sponges, mollusks, rays, dolphins, over 1500 species of tropical fish, more than 200 types of birds, around 20 types of reptiles including sea turtles and giant clams over 120 years old. The Great Barrier Reef is composed of 3,000 individual reef systems, 600 tropical islands and about 300 coral cays. In the past three decades, it has lost half its coral cover, pollution has caused deadly

What is a coral reef? How are they created? Well a coral reef is a ridge of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of coral. Corals are tiny animals which belong to the group of other cnidarians include hydras, jellyfish, and sea anemones. Corals are sessile animals, meaning they are not mobile but stay fixed in one place. They feed by reaching out with tentacles to catch prey such as small fish and planktonic animals. Corals live in colonies consisting of many individuals. They secrete a hard calcium carbonate skeleton, which serves as a uniform base or substrate for the colony. The skeleton also provides protection, as the polyps can contract into the structure if predators approach. It is these hard skeletal structures that build