An introduction to…

Coral Reefs

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you want to

go on vacation?

Disneyland?

Many people say Hawaii, the Bahamas, and other tropical islands surrounded by coral reefs. Why do people like tropical islands and coral reefs?

Port Aransas?

A tropical island?

Why People Like Coral ReefsTourists Scientists

• Warm water

• Can go snorkling or scuba diving

• Lots of fish to look at or eat

• Look at variety of corals

•Many biological/chemical interactions

•Help determine temperature, depth, and clarity of the water

•Corals fossilize easy, keep record of geologic time

What are Corals?-Colonies made of corallites

-Each corallite is a sessile, filter-feeding animal (cnidaria) that contains symbiotic algae

-cnidaria need moving water

-algae needs sunlight for photosynthesis

Where do Corals grow?

• Tropical latitudes--water temp. range• Clear water--sediment blocks sunlight• High energy water, to bring food to filter-

feeders & clear sediments so new corallites can attach

• Specific depths--different varieties of algae require different wavelengths of (sun)light

What are Coral Reefs?

Definition from NOAA’s Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS):

a wave-resistant structure resulting from cementation processes and the skeletal construction of hermatypic corals, calcareous algae, and other calcium carbonate-secreting organisms

But this definition doesn’t show you…

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef1021.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef0497.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef0456.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef0455.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef0501.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef0492.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef0508.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef1001.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef1032.htm

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/reef1055.htm