The Effects Of Pollution On Coral Reefs

The Ocean is a miraculous place filled to the brim with foreign creatures and wondrous wildlife. From the Great Orcas of the Antarctic waters to the minuscule plankton, these marine life conquer the ocean's depths, but it's not just the creatures that reside here. Coral occupy their fair share of space upon the ocean's floor filling the waters with their glamour and residential charm for those in search of shelter.

The Coral Reefs are limestone formations that are produced by living organisms. They are found in shallow tropical waters. The predominate organisms that make them up are stony corals, which are colonial cnidarians that secrete calcium carbonate (limestone) as an exoskeleton. Calcium carbonate is also deposited by other types of marine organisms such as tube-building annelid worms but any reef formed by a biological community is called a coral reef. These skeletons accumulate due to the tides and create a formation that supports the living coral as well as the highest species diversity of all explored marine habitats. Reefs are found between the latitudes of 30°N to

The Great Barrier Reef is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is believed to be one of the most incredible places on this earth. This reef is the largest living organism on this planet and the only living thing on earth visible from space (2011). The warm waters of the southwest Pacific Ocean are the perfect environments to create the world's largest system of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is in such pristine condition that it was listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site and is therefore, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure that its beauty is maintained for many travelers and sightseers (Edgar 2010). Due to the complexity of this natural phenomenon, human practices have led

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

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

There are many different types of reefs but the most common type of reef is the Fringing Reef. There are also many different types of species that live in this reef. There are tons of different species of fish that live in large groups and come in all different colors. Although, the two main groups of fish that live in this reef are vertebrates and invertebrates. Among the different types of vertebrates living in this reef includes Fish, Sea Snakes, Sea Turtles, Dugongs, and Manatees. These are the only fish that usually swim in large groups. Among the coral reef the invertebrates, which is the most common group of different types of living in this reef, are the constructors and

Echinoderms such as starfish, sea cucumbers, and urchins are identified by their symmetry and central mouth. This species is found decorating the coral reefs by their variety of color and sizes. Because some of these animals like to burrow in the sand, they can supply oxygen to some of the depths in the ocean. Echinoderms are a staple food in many sea animals diet.

Some large school of fish can be found looking for food, such as the schoolmasters and the sergeant majors. During the day that is when the coral polyps are the busiest, because the spiny lobsters and long-spined black urchins hide In It. At the night time, that is when they come out to get their own food. Fish that live near the coral polyps are usually very colorful. There are lagoons in between barrier reef and the shoreline. The lagoon has calm water and has sand on the bottom. Lagoons are usually covered in turtle grass and green algae. But enough talking about lagoons. The coral polyps issue is the death of the corals worldwide.

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 home to a large variety of plants and animals. Not only does it have a variety, but it houses rare species, such as sea turtles, pygmy seahorses, stonefish, and the rare dugong, a medium sized marine mammal, similar to a manatee. The reef also has the largest collection of corals on Earth, over 400 types, making up thousands of

Nearly 1,700 species of fish inhabit the reef. Many of these species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The warm tropical waters of north eastern Australia allow such species to thrive along with the large protection of the reef and abundant plant and animal life. Some of these varieties include angle fish, on the right (Fish of the Great Barrier Reef), butterfly fish, gobies and the famous clown fish, on the right (Fish of the Great Barrier Reef). Many of these fish are bright in color and have very extravagant details. This often makes them subject for photographing and viewing by many divers and tourists. While many of these fish live in the reef because of their rarity some are considered endangered or on the watch list due to habitat loss or people illegally taking them from the reef (Fish of the Great Barrier Reef).

Covering over 348,000 square kilometres, the reef is home to the most comprehensive coral ecosystem on the planet and is so large it can actually be observed from space (Australian government). Whilst predominantly being known for its large colourful reefs, is provides a home to a diverse array of marine creatures including 1625 different species of fish, around 600 types

Sponges are a vital element of the coral ecosystem. The sponge is one of the inhabitats of the reef that is responsible for filtering the water on the reef. They "filter water, cycle nutrients, and provide a home to numerous cryptic organisms" (). Because the sponge filters the water on the reef, many of the nutrients that would have been lost to ocean currents is keep in the reef system. So in the event that a disease attacked and wiped out the entire sponge population many of the key nutrients that the sponges filters out and keeps in the reef system would be lost. This would be a very serious problem becasue coral reefs are like deserts in the sea, but deviod of nutrients instead of water. Another big problem would be the quality of

The Red Sea Coral Reef is full of many different plants and animals that would have died without the protection of

     Coral reefs are one of the oldest types of living systems on earth, and certainly one of the most spectacular (Goreau, 1987). They are massive underwater structures formed by the limestone skeletons of tiny invertebrate animals. Reefs house a greater diversity of body forms, chemistry, and animal phyla (thirty-two compared to the eight that inhabit the most biodiversity ecosystems on land). Phyla comprise the second largest category of living things, after kingdoms.