1. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Coral Reefs and their Marine Families Reef IQ

2. www.reefcheckaustralia.org New Vocabulary New vocabulary will be highlighted in green. Please write down each new word for review at the end of the class. polypsalgae ecosystemhabitat zooxanthellaetentacles

3. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Introduction to Coral Reefs Coral reefs are amazing, natural wonders that live in the warm waters of the tropics, providing habitat for thousands of marine creatures.

4. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Corals- ANIMAL or PLANT?

5. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Coral is an ANIMAL! Coral is actually an animal. They live attached to the sea floor. They are the builders of the reef! A single coral animal is called a coral polyp. The coral polyps live together in colonies. The coral polyps live inside here

6. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Polyps Outside! Polyps Inside Tiny, little animals!

7. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What do they eat? To get energy to build the coral reef the corals need to eat. The polyps use their tentacles to catch tiny animals that float in the water called zooplankton. But corals get MOST of their food from marine plants that actually live inside the coral! A coral polyp

8. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What do they eat? A microscopic type of algae called zooxanthellae actually live inside corals, just under their skin. Corals are solar-powered just like trees on land. The algae that live inside the coral soak up the sun all day - just like sunbathers on the beach. A coral polyp

9. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Zooxanthellae Coral polyp Coral colony Corals Coral Reef

10. www.reefcheckaustralia.org The Great Barrier Reef is the largest system in the world and can be seen from outer space. Corals produce a hard skeleton that forms the actual structure of the reef. Coral reefs have the second highest biodiversity after rainforests. Interesting Coral Reef Facts

11. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Why are coral reefs important? Habitat: They are home to 33% of all known fish species. Nursery: And a nursery ground for over 25% of all marine species. Photo by J. Randall Photo by Dee Wescott Photo by MacGillivray Freeman Films

12. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Why are coral reefs important? Income: they provide millions of dollars of income annually for people living by coral reefs. Medical Research: coral reefs have the potential to be used as medical cures to treat cancer, heart disease, HIV and arthritis among others. Protection: they protect 20% of the world’s coast from wave erosion. Food: they are a food source for millions of people. Tourism: coral reefs attract tourists from all over the world.

13. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What is a healthy environment for coral reefs? Sunlight A certain salinity Low nutrient, clear water Water temperature 18-29 ºC Water circulation Photo by MacGillivray Freeman Films

14. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What are the man-made threats to coral reefs? Global warming leading to coral bleaching. Runoff of chemicals and nutrients from land Sedimentation. Rubbish including marine debris Overfishing Physical damage from tourists and fishermen Pollution from untreated sewage and oil. An example of coral bleaching.

15. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What plants live on coral reefs? Algae - lots of different types!

16. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What animals live on the reef? Turtles!

17. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Crayfish What animals live on coral reefs?

18. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Hard coral What animals live on coral reefs?

19. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What animals live on coral reefs? Giant clams

20. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Parrotfish What animals live on coral reefs?

21. www.reefcheckaustralia.org What animals live on coral reefs? Butterflyfish

22. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Surgeonfish What animals live on coral reefs?

23. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Damselfish What animals live on coral reefs?

24. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Damselfish including Clownfish, like Nemo! What animals live on coral reefs?

25. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Cleaner shrimp What animals live on coral reefs?

26. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Sponges What animals live on coral reefs?

27. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Coral Trout What animals live on coral reefs?

28. www.reefcheckaustralia.org Sharks What animals live on coral reefs?

29. www.reefcheckaustralia.org THE END! Perhaps you can join them one day!