Mesoamerican ReefSamantha 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

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

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

Animals

The animal I chose was the Bottlenose Dolphin

The Bottlenose Dolphins Have a life span of anywhereFrom 45 to 50 years old. The feed on mostly krill and Shrimp They live in groups of 5- 10

dolphins called pods

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

Relationships

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

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/20

10/08/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