Post on 24-Feb-2016
description
Coral Reefs
By Harsha Lakamsani
Introduction
• Coral Reefs are made of limestone structures of dead and living stony coral• Coral polyps are formed by red and
green coralline algae• Coral gets color from zooxanthellae• Found all over the world
Animals of the Coral ReefAnenomefish
Blacktip reef sharkBrain Coral
Carpet AnenomeGiant ClamParrotfish
Pharoah cuttlefishSquarespot
Staghorn coralPlankton
Yellow-headed jawfishZebra morayZebra shark
Etc.
Plants of the Coral Reef
• Seagrass• Seaweed• Mangroves• Sea lettuce• Algae• Zooxanthellae• Benthic diatoms
About Coral Reefs
• Water in the reef is 68° to 82°F (20° - 28°C)• Reefs are found on eastern shores of land• Reefs usually develop in areas with lots of
wave action because of incoming nutrients• Waves also prevent sediment from falling on
reefs• Reefs need calcium (calcium becomes
limestone) to form and thrive
Biotic Factors
• Animals– Sharks, Fish, Eels, Corals, Anenomes,
Plankton, Etc.
• Plants–Seagrasses, Seaweeds, Mangroves, Sea
Lettuce, Algae, Etc.
Abiotic Factors
• Rocks• Dead Coral• Limestone • Water• Sunlight• Temperature• pH• Etc.
Famous Locations
• Great Barrier Reef• Red Sea Coral Reef• New Caledonia Barrier Reef• Mesoamerican Barrier Reef• Florida Reef• Andros Coral Reef• Zhongsha Islands
Map• Red dots = Coral Reefs
Producers
• Photosynthetic Autotrophs– Phytoplankton– Coralline algae– Filamentous turf algae– Zooxanthellae in corals– Seaweed– Etc.
Prey in the Coral Reef• Consumers (primary and secondary)
– Zooplankton– Invertabrate larvae– Benthic grazers– Few corals– Few crabs– Sea urchins– Green sea turtles– Herbivorous fish– Plankton feeders– Corallivores– Benthic invertebrate feeders– Piscivores– Etc.
Predators
• Carnivores (secondary and tertiary consumers)– Plankton feeders– Corallivores– Benthic invertebrate feeders– Piscivores– Sharks– Barracudas– Moray eels– (If present): Dolphins, Seals, Sea birds
Food Chains
• Zooxanthellae (on coral) -> Corallivores -> Parrotfish -> Moray eels• Zooplankton -> Fish (ex: triggerfish) -
> Piscivores -> Seals -> Sharks• Seaweed -> Parrotfish -> Snappers
Pictures of Coral Reefs
Videos of Coral Reefs
Interesting Facts
• Make up about 0.2% of total area on Earth• House tens of thousands of marine
species• Usually located at a depth of 150 feet• Deepest locations at a depth of 450 feet• One of the settings of Pixar’s Finding
Nemo
Fin.