Transcript Coral Reef Biome: a large naturally occurring community of

Coral Reef
Biome: a large naturally occurring community of flora
and fauna occupying a major habitat, e.g., forest or
.
tundra
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What’s to Know?
From 70 to 85 °F
Tropical: Indo-Pacific, Australia, American and African
west coasts
Western bodies contain 85% more diversity than
Caribbean waters
Hard or Soft Coral
Types: Fringing (1), Barrier (2), Coral Atoll (3)
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Plant Adaptations
Zooxanthellae – largest algae, provides unique color
and determines if the reef is healthy in presence of
bleaching
Large cells to absorb more sun in shallow waters and
provide vast vegetation
Sea grasses- transfer nutrients
Mangroves – protect sediment on coral
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Common Plants and
Animals
E.g.

Plants:
Animals:
Jellyfish
Crustaceans
Sea Turtles
Sea Snakes
Sea Stars
Snails
Mollusks
Sponges
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Various Fish
Mangroves: build new shorelines,
small islands within coral lagoons
Seagrass: feeding or nursery plants,
meadow-like, regulated by protected
waters
Coral Reef Threats
Destructive fishing practices
Coral Mining
Cyanide fishing
Careless tourism
Pollution
Sedimentation
Global Warming
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Indications: What’s a
Healthy Reef Like?
Many herbivorous fish – healthy vegetation
and oxygen flow
Sea Urchins – eat over-populated algae in
competition with slow-growing coral, but too
much means a loss in nutrient-rich algae
Large fish and apex predators like sharks –
healthy balance of fish
Giant Clams, Conches, and Mollusks –
sensitive to change in water acidity
(clams), filter feed debris and wastes
ABSENSE of coral bleaching and disease
– reefs are highly sensitive to temperature
change and acidity
COLOR = LIFE
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Temperature Ranges
Two seasons:
Winter – warm
temperatures and low rain
fall an average of
33mm/month (May-Oct.)
Summer – balmy
temperatures with a higher
rainfall of about
400mm/month (Nov. April)
Average Temperature is
between 77-84 degrees F
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Food Web
Biomes have many trophic
levels. Plants and algae,
herbivores, and carnivores
make it up.
E.g. - Barracudas, Sharks,
and other Fish
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Animal Adaptions
Flatter fish to maneuver
coral
●Colors camouflage
●Sessile animals (coral) form
immunities to toxins
●
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Unique Creatures
Scorpionfishes: spines contain
toxins; camouflage well
Pufferfishes: Inflatable; contains
a spot that is on its back fin to
resemble an eye and ward off
predators
Frogfishes: frog-like; modified
dorsal fin; lie motionless and use
spine like a rod; large powerful
jaws
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Scorpionfish and
Frogfish
Invasive Species threaten the reef by feeding
on common fish.
E.g. - lionfish
Overgrown algae, starfish
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Keystone Species
- Sharks, due to their topdown regulation in coral
reeves
If they are absent,
carnivorous fish increase
and damage the ecosystem
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Ecological Services:
Food
Jobs in fishing
Medicine
Recreational
Deep sea – Biodiversity
E.g. - Shrimp, various fish,
deep sea coral
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Resource Partitioning:
Division of food among
species
Drives more efficient
species to survival →
leads to extinction of
species and their niche
E.g. - Sea stars prey on
mussels and shellfish
Symbiotic Relationships
-Organisms in a mutual
giving relationship
E. g. - Coral polyp give CO2
to photosythesizing
zooanthellae
Clownfish and anemones
Sponges as shelter for fish
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Endemic Species
- Found in a specified
region
E.g. - polychaetes, sea stars,
urchins, crinoids, sea
cucumbers
Polychaetes
Crinoids
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Global Locations
Three global regions of coral reef are
recognized.
- All 3 of the Earth's
oceans: Atlantic,
Pacific, Indian
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