Samantha Layne Dietrich Mesoamerican Reef Samantha Layne Dietrich

Introduction Did you know that the Mesoamerican Reef is over 600 miles long, has more than 500 species of fish and also has more than 60 species of coral. Location Topography Climate Plants Animals Other organisms Endangered and extinct species Environmental concerns Misc. Conclusion Review

Location Extends along the coast of four countries Mexico, Belize , Guatemala, and Honduras. It begins near Isla contoy on the northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula The Mesoamerican Reef is over 600 miles long

Topography The topography of this area is very unique, the fact that it is so close to land lets it mesh into inshore habitats, creating a mutualistic relationship Really close to the shore only a few hundred yards away in some places But in some places it can be up to 20 miles off shore www.hiltonpond.org/images/CR08pMapCentAmer02big.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Coral_reef_diagram.jpg http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/mesoamerican-reef/brower-text

Topography This picture shows the different elevations compared to the sea level

Climate Belize is close to the Mesoamerican Reef and their climate is described as having only two seasons. One season is the wet season and the other is the dry season. The average yearly temperature is around 86 degrees http://ambergriscaye.com/art/climate_graph.gif

Plants Some plants are algae and sea grass Most of these plants are located on the ocean floor http://savefloridareefs.com/Reefpics2/sea_grass.jpg http://biodiversity.tamu.edu/files/2012/09/North-Sound-Antigua-1024x768.jpg http://www.iwant2go2mexico.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/reef.jpg

Animals These are some of the animals native to this area Sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, whale sharks, bull sharks, seahorses, starfish, manatees, American crocodiles, and many different bird species http://awsassets.panda.org/img/wwfca_manaties_356126.jpg http://animalstime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bottlenose-dolphin-facts.jpg http://www.roatanoaktreetours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/indexiuuy.jpg

Animals The animal I chose was the Bottlenose Dolphin The Bottlenose Dolphins Have a life span of anywhere From 45 to 50 years old. The feed on mostly krill and Shrimp They live in groups of 5- 10 dolphins called pods http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/04/17/dolphin11a.jpg

Other Organisms Some various types of soft coral Along with various types of oysters and sponges in various different hues and many different types Many different types of sea grasses are also found throughout this reef

Other Organisms Soft Orange Coral Sea grass http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8h_iH3qmBbM/TyCG0nDJ4DI/AAAAAAAABP4/4qtfiXYYQ3s/s1600/Orange_Soft_COral.jpg http://a.static.trunity.net/files/122701_122800/122714/300px-Posidonia.jpg

Sea Turtles, Seahorses Relationships Bottlenose Dolphin, Fish Bull Sharks Bottlenose Dolphin, Fish Sea Turtles, Seahorses Krill, crab, Lobster, Coral Tertiary Consumer Secondary Consumer Primary Consumer Producer

Endangered and Extinct Species Some critically endangered species are the saltwater crocodile Green Hawksbill, loggerhead sea turtles The largest population of manatees in the western Caribbean The largest aggregation of whale sharks in the world http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/mexico/placesweprotect/mesoamerican-reef.xml

People People are effecting the region by snorkeling and scuba diving Another thing damaging the coral reefs are the cruise ships not allowing light to the coral itself

Environmental concerns or issues Some of the biggest issues would be like the rising ocean temperatures Another issue would have to be the rising sea levels El Nino and Hurricanes along with increased human development Most of the damage has been done by increased sedimentation and run-off

Misc. or unique features The reefs are broken down into smaller sections and that is when they get their names The reef in Belize is 185 miles long overall The Mesoamerican reef is the second largest in the world

Conclusion In conclusion the Mesoamerican Reef is slowly starting to suffer from the rising sea levels. It is also starting to suffer from pollution. The animals that live in this reef are suffering as well because they are being hunted and the pollution in the water is also killing them.

5 review questions Name one animal that lives in this ecosystem? What type of plant is most commonly found in this ecosystem? What are we doing that damages this ecosystem so much? How long is the reef in Belize? What are two natural causes that are damaging this ecosystem over time?

Work cited page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_Barrier_Reef_System http://www.globalissues.org/news/2012/03/07/12909 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/mesoamerican-reef/brower-text http://savefloridareefs.com/Reefpics2/sea_grass.jpg http://biodiversity.tamu.edu/files/2012/09/North-Sound-Antigua-1024x768.jpg http://www.iwant2go2mexico.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/reef.jpg http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/centralamerica/belize/placesweprotect/mesoamerican-reef-1.xml http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/mexico/placesweprotect/mesoamerican-reef.xml https://0265446f04-custmedia.vresp.com/e1aa3dbced/Mesoamerican%20Reef.gif http://ambergriscaye.com/art/climate_graph.gif

http://awsassets.panda.org/img/wwfca_manaties_356126.jpg http://animalstime.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bottlenose-dolphin-facts.jpg