Coral Reefs

Hannah Henson
Geography 1000 ePortfolio

Introduction
Marine life has always fascinated me. When I was
younger, I went through a phase where I wanted to be
a marine biologist. Even though I have chosen another
career path since, the interest still exists. My ePortfolio
explores both coral and coral reefs: how they grow,
benefits they serve, and factors that can threaten their
survival.

First, lets determine what coral is.

Coral is an organism that has a

polyp structure, similar to a sea
anemone.

Thy have two sources of food:

small organisms and
photosynthesis via zooxanthellae.

Tentacles capture plankton and

small fish that is transferred to
the mouth to be consumed

Zooxanthellae algae on the body

of coral performs photosynthesis

This gives the coral its distinct

color and allows coral to grow
quickly
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-coral-anatomyvector-diagram-structure-polyp-polyps-tend-to-live-colonies-formbuilding-blocks-reef-image36203292

Groups of coral

There are two primary groups of coral. The first group is labeled Soft Coral.

Soft corals get their name from the fact that they do not have a hard skeleton.
There are two main types of soft coral: gorgonians and black corals.

Gorgonian
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Gorgonian

Black
http://blog.maldive.c
om/protectedmarine-life-maldives/

Groups of coral continued

Fire
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/jo
urnal/v4/n5/fig_tab/ngeo1150_
F1.html

Lace
http://www.nanoreef.com/topic/136990-el-fabs-picoreef-20072010/page-19

Stony
http://www.arkive.org/st
ony-coral/poritescompressa/

The other group is titles Hard Coral.

Hard corals get their name from the fact that they have a hard, rigid exoskeleton,
where soft corals do not. Within this group of hard corals are hydrocorals (fire and
lace) and stony corals.

Stony corals are necessary for reefs to grow.

So, how does coral grow?

There are two ways that coral reproduce.
Asexual

Asexual reproduction occurs through

either budding or fragmentation.

Fragmentation is when part of a

colony breaks off and begins growing
and forming a whole new colony.

Budding happens when a coral polyp

gets to be a certain size and it
divides, creating an identical clone.

Sexual

Sexual reproduction can be done

externally or internally. Here is a
video link that illustrates how corals
spawn and reproduce sexually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
nVAVACeEGLE&feature=player_embed
ded

How are coral reefs formed?

Reefs are formed when coral larvae attach themselves to rocks or

other hard surfaces on the edges of land and then build on each
other. This process takes a long time. Reefs can take from 100,00
to 30,000,000 years to form.

For example, The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia is
estimated to be between 6000 and 8000 years old, so it is considered
a young coral reef.

Coral reefs usually grow in semitropical and tropical climates

because they provide the perfect environment for coral to thrive
in. Coral cannot survive in water temperatures less than 18
degrees Celsius.

3 different types of coral reefs

Fringing coral
reefs build onto
the edges or
shoreline of land
and islands.

Barrier reefs
have a lagoon
of water
separating it
from the main
body of land.

Atolls occur when a

fringing reef has
formed and the land
has fell completely
underwater.

http://www.mari
nebio.net/marin
escience/04bent
hon/crform.htm

What benefits do coral reefs have for other organisms

and the environment as a whole?

Though coral reefs serve many

benefits for marine life, perhaps
one of the most important values
of coral reefs are housing and
sustaining other organisms.
Though coral reefs cover less
than 10% of the ocean floor in
total, they are the most diverse
ecosystem. Over 4000 species of
fish depend on coral reefs, not
including other types of marine
organisms. It is no question as to
why coral reefs are nicknamed
rainforests of the sea.

The Great Barrier

Reef

http://sailawayportdouglas.com/touristinfo/ab
outgbr/

Benefits continued

Because coral reefs are so diverse and are home to various marine
organisms, it attracts tourists from all over the world to swim, snorkel, scuba
dive, and see the ecosystem with their own eyes. As a result, jobs are
created and money is made. The International Coral Reef Initiative website
states, the total economic value of coral reefs range from US$ 100,000 to
$600,000 per square kilometer per year. (Source: UNEP-WCMC, 2006)
Coral reefs help support the economy!

Benefits continued

Other benefits proven by coral reefs include

Providing protection for shorelines and coasts by acting as a buffer for ocean
storms, not only protecting land, but also people living near the coast.

Being a source of food due to the fish that live there.

Producing chemicals that are used for medicines that fight an array of illnesses and
diseases.

What are the biggest threats to the survival of coral

reefs?

There are many natural and manmade causes that can potentially harm
coral reefs. In fact, most of the benefits just listed can act as threats under
extreme circumstances. For instance, reefs protect shores from storms.
Storms can damage and even destroy coral reefs, and if hit frequently, may
never be able to recover.

Fish that are supported by coral reefs are caught for food or medicinal
purposes. Some fishing strategies can damage the coral with nets and other
debris. Blast and cyanide fishing can poison and disturb coral as well.
Overfishing can also impair coral reefs.

Tourists and divers who are not careful can break and harm coral. Many like
to take fish, pieces of coral, and other organisms for souvenirs, negatively
impacting the ecosystem.

Threats continued

Pollution is a huge threat to coral reefs. Insecticides, fuel, oil, and other
dangerous chemicals can enter oceans that promote the growth of kinds of
algae that will completely cover coral. Pollutants may arise from many
sources such as ships and boats, which come in direct contact with water,
and also activities such as dredging and the urbanization of shoreline cities.
One characteristic of coral that is interesting to note is that when it is at risk
or harmed, the coral will stress. This puts coral and coral reefs at risk for
something called coral bleaching.
Before and
after
bleaching
http://gizmodo.com/this-is-what-amass-dieoff-of-earths-coral-reefslooks-1735553240

What is the term coral bleaching?

According to the Webster dictionary, coral bleaching is defined as a

phenomenon affecting coral reefs by which they lose their natural color as
a result of high water temperatures or other environmental stressors such
as pollutants.

As mentioned earlier, an algae name zooxanthellae lives on the body of

coral and performs photosynthesis that provides nutrients. However, when
outside factors upset the ecosystem and make the coral stress, the
zooxanthellae will leave the coral because it is no longer an ideal home. As
a result, the coral loses nourishment and color that the algae provided,
making it more susceptible to disease.
The next slide provides a graphic from noaa.org that illustrates and
summarizes coral bleaching.

Coral bleaching cont.

This
graphic
gives a
great
descriptio
n of coral
bleaching

http://oceanservi
ce.noaa.gov/facts
/coral_bleach.ht
ml

Reflection

From the research that I have conducted, Ive found that coral reefs provide
an array of benefits: protection, food, and even supporting the economy.
However, it is obvious that coral reefs are facing many factors that
jeopardize their survival. Many of these factors are caused by humans,
which means that we have the ability to help preserve them. If coral reefs
are increasingly bleaching and being damaged, thousands of marine
organisms that depend on them will be disrupted. The aid of coral reefs may
begin to decline, which will thus have an effect on the economy and local
cities. It is a chain reaction. The human race can make a difference in
whether coral reefs or are progressively damaged or continue to thrive.

Sources used

http://ocean.si.edu/corals-and-coral-reefs

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral04_reefs.html

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral09_humanthreats.html

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html

http://www.naturefoundationsxm.org/education/coral_reefs/kinds_of_coral.htm

http://coralreefsystems.org/content/value-corals

http://www.icriforum.org/about-coral-reefs/benefits-coral-reefs