Geography Flashcards
How are reefs fromed?
reefs are formed by coral polyps and other living creatures
What is a coral reef?
An offshore ridge mainly of calcium carbonate.
What are coral polyps?
small,soft bodied sea creatures which use calcium carbonate dissolved in seawater to build up the hard casing of limestone to protect themselves
Which coral grows well in shallow water?
Elkhorn grows well in shallow water whereas other corals grow well in deep water.
List some organisms that grow om the reef
algae,fish,sea eggs,sponges and shellfish
What does algae supply
carbon and nutrients which help coral grow
What is coral bleaching?
this is when the water is hot, coral expel beneficial algae that supply nutrients and carbon causing to lose their colour
What is the fringing reef?
a coral reef that grows directly from the shore
where do fringing reefs grow
off the coast of most caribbean islands
Jamaica,barbados,tobago and antigua
what is a barrier reef
a coral reef that runs parallel to a shoreline
what is the world’s largest barrier reef
Greater Barrier Reef which is located off the north east of AUSTRALIA
second largest reef
Belize
some countries where large barrier reef can be found
Andros in the Bahamas, Anegada in British Virgin Islands
What is an atoll reef
ring -shaped coral reefs with low-lying coral islands surrounded by open sea and enclosing a shallow lagoon.
How many coral atolls are worldwide and in the Caribbean
425 worldwide and most are in the Pacific and Indian Occenas
15 atolls in the alantic and caribbean
