Coral Reefs Flashcards
Describe a coral reefs distribution
Worldwide
Coastal
Concentrated
Clustered
Qwhere can they be found
Temperate areas and tropical climates
Where can they be found
Mainly in the eastern waters
Some in the west
Found in most seas but not arctic
What is a coral reef
The coral that form the structure of a coral reef are loving animals that feed, fight, reproduce and grow.
What kind of animal is a coral
Corals are invertebrates (has a back bone) and are made one tiny polyps which have a mouth and tentacles
How does a coral grow?
New polyps form and fuse together
What happens to the coral over time?
May be over 30m thick but the living part is only a thin veneer ( up to 1m thick )
Describe the different types of coral?
Fringing reefs
Barrier reefs
Atolls
Relationship of coral algae and fish
Coral algae and fish all depend on each other they have what us called a symbiotic relationship
Algae
🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺 Coral. Fish
Name some natural threats and there solutions
1) sea temp
Sea temperature change= can only grow in certain temp. range
out of this range they deteriorate and
die. The temperature stresses the coral
and they eject their algae Coral BLEACHING
They aren’t dead cAn be recovered if stress is removed removed. TO HELP THIS people are being educated on how the effects their actions on climate change effect coral and so are limiting their greenhouse gas emission, but even if it does stop the damage already done could take decades to recover
Natural threats 2) sea levels
With temperature on the rise, the sea expands, and glaciers and ice bergs melt causing sea levels to rise and they are only going up. The rise in sea level ,Evans the coral at the sea bed is further from the surface reducing sunlight, these slow growing species need shallower waters to grow.
HOW TO HELP : reduce emissions, once again the damage we have done even if we drastically cut back, is unlikely to stop suddenly
Describe some human threats in coral reefs
👻🐟 🎣
When fisherman loose equipment and nets, or are thrown over board as they are damaged. These nets tangle sea creatures in them, resulting in death with no one escape. This effects the coral as it eliminates some creatures from the food chain which effects the symbiotic relationship 🔺
SOLUTION: better quality fishing gear, a guard on the beach ensuring all gear comes back, a reward if you recycle broken gear
Human threats
🗑🗑🐟
With more waste in the sea than ever before due to littering and poor care the sea bed is being cluttered
Fish often mistake this as a safe place to nest and lay their eggs, many fish but themselves on the sharp plastic or get tangle in the packaging and die, effects food chain SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP
Solutions: voluntary litter picks on beaches, clears up limiting the waste entering the sea
Reduce single use plastic Habits, recycle properly , support bans of plastic bags and bottles and educate others in the effect they have
Human threats
✈️☀️🌊🌊
Tourism
Tourists are a main cause if over fishing and people who explore kill creatures and habitats by haphazardly stepping and crushing when exploring reef
They also stir up sediments when walking on sand and swimming, this sedimentation clogs the coral so they cannot feed or respire, and become bleached
Where is the researched reef?
New Caledonian Reef is located in New Caledonia
An island in the coral sea south of the equator
