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Coral reefs are home to many plants and animals in the sea, but many coral reefs are being destroyed, killing the whole ecosystem with all the organisms living inside. The reefs are found in temperate and tropical waters, and can only form 30 degrees from the equator. The beautiful pigments of the reefs come from the different types of algae. When organisms die, their exoskeletons die are layered by the tide to form coral. The algae and the coral work well together because the algae gives the coral food and the coral gives the algae a safe place to live. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef, located in Australia. Here are some facts about coral reefs:
Types of Reefs: Fringing Reef, Atol Reef, Barrier Reef
Types of Coral: Brain Coral, Pillar/Cathedral Coral, Staghorn Coral
Inhabitants:
Chordates (with back bones): Sharks, rays, snakes, turtles, crocodiles, marine birds, sea squirts, bony fish, hagfish, lampreys, dolphins, whales, seals and sea lions
Invertebrates (without backbones): sponges, molluscs, comb jellies, corals, jelly fish, hydroids, sea spiders, sea stars, urchins, cucumbers, crabs, prawns, lobsters, flat worms, aero worms, segmented worms, ribbon worms, acorn worms, and round worms
Damage to Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are extremely important ecosystems, home to many organisms. However, it can take a few seconds to destroy a coral reef and many are being killed. Therefore, we must help protect coral reefs from damage and save these wonderful ecosystems. There are many ways that coral reefs are being killed. Here are some:
- Effects from Global Warming: Global warming causes coral bleaching which is when the algae that feeds the coral can’t perform photosynthesis because the water temperatures are too high. Therefore, the coral is unstable and marine life can’t live. As well, shellfish and other organisms need a certain level of calcium to make hard shells. However, Global warming causes acidity to increase which decreases the amount of calcium in the water. Furthermore, when temperatures rise, there is an increased amount of chemicals that are poisonous to algae. The coral either gets rid of the zooxanthelae to save itself or the toxic hurts both the coral as well as the algae.
- Dynamite fishing: In dynamite fishing, grenades and dynamite are thrown into the water to kill any large predators wanting to kill fish. The dynamite destroys the coral in the area.
- Cyanide fishing: Cyanide fishing is when poison is dumped on a reef so fish are easy to catch. The toxic kills all of the organisms so the reef can’t be used to shelter marine life.
- Food Industry: Coral reefs have many edible animals and plants that live in them. Some of the plants and animals are very highly prized. One of the largest threats to the coral reef is destructive methods of fishing and over fishing.
- Building: In villages that border coral reefs, houses are built from coral.
- Medical Uses: Some of the soft organisms that live in the coral can be turned into medicine.
- Tourism: Tourists like to scuba dive around coral reefs.
- Pollution: Some factories dump pollution and trash into the sea. Some of the trash hits coral reefs, and it kills the animals living in it too.
Therefore, coral reefs are extremely important and we must protect them. Help out and stop polluting!
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