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Where are coral reefs found?

  • Anywhere with warm water

The areas where there are coral are indicated in red--

Notice that the highest areas of coral reef are found on the east coasts of continents.

What's the climate like?

  • There is no wind underwater, but as stated earlier, the currents have an effect on the reef's growth
  • Located along areas near the Equator

Geology

  • A coral reef is made up of thousands of corals
  • After a coral dies, its skeleton of calcium carbonate is left behind

Every new generation is built upon the remains of the previous one

New corals attach themselves to the old skeleton and the cycle starts over

Coral reefs take on one of three forms- atoll, barrier, or fringing. The terrain is the coral reefs themseleves.

Animals

Physical Adaptations

Adaptations appear in animals because certain shapes and colors create a camouflage.

This helps the animals living in the coral reefs avoid predators.

Stonefish have adapted over time to help it to blend in with its coral reef surroundings.

Behavioral Adaptations

One adaptation of clownfish is the relationship between the fish and sea anemones. They live inside the sea anemone's stinging tentacles as a way of protection against predators. They are able to live in the sea anemones because of their body mucus. This is also an example of a symbiotic relationship in this biome.

Examples

Great Barracuda

Hawksbill

Sea anemones

Sponges

Plants

Mangroves

Shoreline plants-- not found in hard coral

An adaptation of these plants is that they grow to protect the coral and keep the coral structurally sound.

Seagrasses

Form habitats for a large variety of animals

Marine Algae

Found mainly in the areas where hard coral is present

Coralline algae

Red algae that helps the structure of coral reefs

Another symbiotic relationship typical of this biome is the way coral reefs obtain nutrients through photosynthesis. This is unique because coral reefs are considered animals.

The process of photosynthesis:

Reef-building corals often contain photosynthetic algae, called zooxanthellae. The coral provides a safe environment and nutrients for the algae. In exchange, the algae produce oxygen and help dispel wastes. In addition, the algae provides the coral with glucose, glycerol, and amino acids. These are the products of photosynthesis.

These products are useful because the coral uses them to make proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and as the basis for producing calcium carbonate.

Healthy coral with zooxanthellae

Unhealthy coral without zooxanthellae

In a way, coral reefs perform as an example of plants in their biome.

Click here to learn more about coral reefs!

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=3765bac4-aa4f-4a17-a052-42724140440d

Works Cited

By Hannah Ragsdale

  • The temperature must be above 18 degrees C
  • This limits the geographical area to between 23 degrees N and 23 degrees S
  • Many throughout the Pacific Ocean
  • Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia

More diverse on east coasts

This is because ocean currents flow clockwise in northern hemisphere but counterclockwise in southern hemispheres

The cold water of ocean currents flows towards the equator, along coastlines, on the eastern sides of oceans

  • Shallow, warm water
  • The equator's average temperature is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Temperate or tropical climates

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zooxanthellae

Increase amount of marine fish in reefs

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