CORAL REEF Kyle, Lauren, Amelia

WHERE IS ECOSYSTEM LOCATED? LOCATED IN THE TROPICS [WARM SEAS] NORTH AND SOUTH OF EQUATOR TROPICAL OCEANS FOUND ALONG COAST OF MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES ALL CORAL REEFS TOGETHER ARE 110,000 SQUARE MILES, THIS IS THE SIZE OF STATE NEVADA

DESCRIBE THE ABIOTIC FACTORS OF YOUR ECOSYSTEM TEMPERATURE DEGREES FAHRENHEIT CORAL REEFS NEED SUNLIGHT TO LIVE NEEDS WARM WATER AND SALTY WATER WATER ALSO NEEDS OXYGEN CORAL NEEDS SANDY SOIL

PRODUCER: ALGAE. HOW DOES YOUR PRODUCER RELY ON OTHER ORGANISMS IN THE CORAL REEF TO SURVIVE? NEEDS STRONG SUNLIGHT NEEDS CLEAR WATER LIVES IN POLYPS WATER TEMPERATURES DEGREES F

HOW DO OTHER ORGANISMS OF YOUR ECOSYSTEM RELY ON YOUR PRODUCER TO SURVIVE? CORAL POLYPS NEEDS TINY ALGAE TO SURVIVE DAMSELFISH, RABBITFISH AND SEA URCHINS EAT ALGAE BLUE TANG EAT ALGAE TO SURVIVE RED ALGAE AND BRYOZOANS HELP CEMENT REEFS TOGETHER

HOW DO HUMANS AFFECT YOUR ECOSYSTEM? NEGATIVE PEOPLE BREAK CORALS PEOPLE OVERFISH REEFS PEOPLE POLLUTE WATER POSITIVE SOME ORGANIZATIONS PROTECT REEFS SOME PEOPLE TRY TO REDUCE POLLUTION MARINE PARKS PROTECTS REEFS

CHOOSE ONE BIOTIC FACTOR IN YOUR ECOSYSTEM & DESCRIBE HOW A CHANGE IN ONE OF THESE COULD AFFECT YOUR ECOSYSTEM? CHANGE: FARMERS USING FERTILIZERS AND CHEMICALS THAT POLLUTE THE OCEAN CHEMICALS MAKE PLANKTON AND ALGAE GROW TOO MUCH ALGAE WILL CROWD THE CORAL; THEN THE CORAL DIES WHEN CORAL DIES, BLUE TANG (WHICH EATS CORAL) WILL DIE WHEN THE BLUE TANG DIES, THE BARRACUDA WILL DIE FINALLY, SHARKS WOULD DIE

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS: CORAL REEFS HELP STOP GLOBAL WARMING REEFS EXISTED WHEN DINOSAURS WERE ALIVE REEFS DIED WHEN DINOSAURS DIED BUT CAME BACK REEFS EXISTED ABOUT 400 MILLION YEARS AGO

SOURCES USED JOHANSSON, PHILIP. THE CORAL REEF A COLORFUL WEB OF LIFE. 3RD EDITION. BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ: ENSLOW ELEMENTARY, PRINT.