Coral Reef 50 Simple Things

By: Stacy Khun

Benefits The plants in the reef give food and oxygen to

animals in the sea. Coral reefs remove and recycle CO2 (Carbon

Dioxide), which is a gas that has an effect on global warming.

People can learn about the biomes, ecosystems, and interrelationship between organisms and their environment.

Coral reefs may provide important medicine for people.

Locations • Generally found in

clear tropical oceans. • They grow up to 150

feet (45 meters) in water. (They need sunlight to survive)

• Three types of reefs include fringing reefs, barriers reefs, and atolls.

• Largest reef in the world is the Great Barrier Reef located in Australia.

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Data

Fun Facts They make up about 1% of the ocean floor.

However, they house nearly 25% of life. They’re tiny organisms called polyps. They

attach themselves to the hard reef and live there forever.

Corals can be different colors due to the natural pigments.

Scientists says that coral reefs might be gone from Earth in the next 50 years.

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Bibliography "About Corals." NOAA's Coral Reef Conservat

ion Program:. National Ocean Service, May-June 2011. Web. 15 May 2014.

"Coral Reef Ecosystems." Reef Relief RSS. Reef Relief, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

"KDE Santa Barbara." KDE Santa Barbara. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.