Coral Reefs By Helena Nikoguova

Geography Climate: -Clear, shallow, warm, optimum temp is 24 degrees Celsius -Require a salinity of 33 ppt. Location: -Wider Caribbean (Atlantic Ocean) -The Indo-Pacific (from East Africa and the Red Sea to the Central Pacific Ocean).

Geography Avg. Rainfall: Southwest gets 60 inches per year, differs for each reef. Sunlight: Needs lots for symbiotic algae to do photosynthesis. Depth: No deeper than 60- 90 feet. Clean Water: Sensitive to pollution and sediments.

Seasonal Changes Gulf of Maine: Winter: less phytoplankton (less sunlight, mixing of ocean layers) Spring: more phytoplankton (more nutrients washed in, more sunlight) Summer: less phytoplankton (it gets eaten) Fall: second phytoplankton increase (increased water overturning)

Seasonal Changes Caribbean Sea: Almost no variation of phytoplankton concentrations occurs in most areas Amazon River Nutrients and other runoff washed into the sea after the rainy season Phytoplankton bloom- ing increases

Limiting Factors Space Water temperature (currents) [68 to 82F] Depth and light amount [<150 ft] Salinity [30 to 40 parts per thousand] Runoff and Sedimentation Water movement (oxygen, nutrients, larvae)

Animal Life Coral Polyps Parrotfish Damselfish Hawksbill Turtle

Animal Life Cleaner Shrimp Jellyfish Sea Krait (Snake) Red-knobbed Seat Star

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) Vegetation Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) Red algae Brown algae Coralline algae

Vegetation Calcareous algae Turtle grass Manatee grass Shoal grass

Animal Adaptations Toxins: Makes unappetizing to deter predators; compete for space. Symbiosis: Corals have a mutualistic relationship with zooxanthellae. Schooling: Fish traveling with large group during day, and dispersing when senses a predator.

Animal Adaptations Nocturnal: Ex. Caribbean Spiny Lobsters -Hunt at night = safer from eagle rays, sharks. Color/Camouflage: Ex. Flounder Fish -Looks like sand on reef floor.

Plant Adaptations Seagrasses + rhizomes (underground creeping stems) Anchoring Filtering Preventing beach erosion

Plant Adaptations Calcification Chemicals Neptune’s Shaving Brush prevents grazing makes plant harder to digest /uproot Chemicals Ceramium sp. Chemical production alters taste to make them unappealing to herbivores

Food Web

Human Pressures Nearly 1/3 of 704 species are endangered, or on the verge. Mass bleaching in 1998 wiped out 16% of all reefs. In last decade, much deterioration caused by humans, natural disasters, climate changes. Sea surface temperature + ocean acidity have risen (acidification from carbon dioxide).

Human Pressures and Activities Overfishing (ecosystem imbalance) Pollution Organic: soil runoff (algal blooms), windborne, sewage, mines Non-organic: chemical fertilizers, oil, other factory outlet chemicals, radioactive wastes Global warming Sea level rise, temperature increase: coral bleaching, coral diseases

Human Pressures and Activities Ocean acidification Increased CO2+water=carbonic acid=pH drop=reduced calcification Coral mining (coral rocks used for cement) Loss of mangrove forests and seagrasses Fishing boat damage, mooring, building construction

Conservation Techniques Many programs use plant propagation Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Fishery management Habitat protection Electrochemical techniques Adding white carbonate (aragonite) Inhibiting algal bloom growth Mineral accretion (artificial reef surfaces)

Conservation Techniques Reducing greenhouse gas emissions Artificially placing hermatype coral onto substrate Restoring sections of broken reef with concrete Reef balls