1. Coral Reef Environment
What are the different coral reef environments?

2. Coral Reef Environment
Coral Reef- stony formation that is built up from the ocean floor by living organisms
Like the Rainforest of the marine world
Many different forms of reefs

3. Where Located in tropical and subtropical waters Most are in the
indo-pacific region
Not many in America
Located in tropical
and subtropical waters

4. Coral Reef Formation Reef Formation
Coral Polyps are responsible for the creating the reef
The hard limestone reef is formed when two substances (calcium and carbon dioxide) combine inside the polyp’s tissue and are excreted out
The two substances create CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)

5. Coral Reef Formation
The Coral Polyp- tiny mound of tissue that contains a saclike digestive tract and a mouth surrounded by stinging tentacles
The polyps connect to one another by a thin membrane

6. Coral Reef Formation What is the coral polyp? Animal? Plant? Neither?
Although it resembles
a plant it is an ANIMAL!

7. Symbiosis
Zooanthella are tiny one celled organisms that undergo photosynthesis for energy. The excess nutrients made are used up by the coral.
In return, coral give off CO2 which the organism needs for energy production.

8. Ecology, Biodiversity and Importance
Coral reefs support a wide variety of marine life
Some fish rely on the reefs for protection (Clown fish, Nemo)
As many as 4,000
fish species live by
or in corals world wide

9. Ecology, Biodiversity and Importance
Regulate CO2 build up in water
Site of protection for many fish species
Preserves an environmental balance

10. Type of reef
Barrier
Fringing
Atoll

11. Type of reef
Atoll Reef- a string of coral islands that form a circle around a sunken island

12. Atoll Reef formation
May take thousands to millions of years to form

13. Great Barrier Reef The largest coral reef located in Australia
Can be seen from space
133,000 square miles
2,900 individual reefs

14. Coral Reef Environment
Great Barrier Reef

15. great barrier reef 4.10

17. Coral Reef Environment
Marine Life around coral reefs will be covered later

18. Coral Reef Environment

19. Coral Reef Environment

20. How
Coral reefs start small and then build up.
About

21. Coral Reef Environment
Coral Features
Located in tropical and subtropical waters
Extremely productive environments with thousands of species

22. Great Barrier Reef