CORAL REED ECOSYSTEMS Flashcards
What are the three types of reefs?
Atoll, fringing, barrier
What is an atoll reef?
A reef around the rim of an extinct volcano.
What is a fringing reef?
A reef that runs parallel to the shoreline, and is separated from it by a narrow, shallow reef.
What is a barrier reef?
A reef that is a long way from the coastline, and is separated from it by a deep and wide lagoon.
What are the four trophic levels?
- Primary producers
- Primary consumers
- secondary consumers
- Tertiary consumers
What are coral reefs huge deposits of?
Limestone
What is limestone the exoskeleton of?
Polyps
What lives on the tentacles of the polyps?
microscopic algae
What is the relationship between the polyps and the algae called?
Symbiotic
Why do the alglae and polyps have a symbiotic relationship?
The polyps give the algae a place to live and the algae passes nutrients onto the polyps.
What are 6 necessary conditions for coral reef survival?
- warm tropical waters
- shallow waters
- saline water
- strong wave action
- not near river mouths
- underwater
What are 5 values of coral reefs?
- intrinsic value
- tourism
- fisheries
- coastal protection
- medicine
What are 6 threats to coral reefs?
- pollution
- climate change
- overfishing
- coral mining
- sedimentation
- tourism
