The Coral Reef Ecosystem

Report by Team 1: Linda, Glenn, and Katie

Wonders of the Sea

Have you ever put on a mask and snorkel and seen the awsome wonder of an coral reef.

Definition of Reefs

A coral reef is an elevated part of a relatively shallow area of the seafloor approaching the sea's surface. It is formed by a rocklike accumulation of calcareous (calcium-containing) exoskeletons of coral animals, calcareous red algae, and mollusks. Built up layer by layer by living corals growing on top of the skeletons of past generations, coral reefs grow at slow rates of 1 to 20 cm (0.4 to 7.8 in) per year.

What Do Coral Reefs look like?

There are three types of coral reefs: There are fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Fringing reefs extend outward from the shore of an island or mainland, with no body of water between reef and land. Barrier reefs occur farther offshore, with a channel or lagoon between reef and shore. Atolls are coral islands, typically consisting of a narrow, horseshoe-shaped reef with a shallow lagoon.

Fringe Reef

Fringing reefs extend outward from the shore of an island or mainland, with no body of water between reef and land. Fringing reefs look really cool from the aerial view, don’t they?

Barrier Reef

Barrier reefs occur farther offshore, with a channel or lagoon between reef and shore. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the best know example of a barrier reef.

Atoll

Atolls are coral islands, typically consisting of a narrow, horseshoe-shaped reef with a shallow lagoon. Good thing Gilligan, the Skipper and the crew of the S.S. Minnow didn’t land on an atoll!

Dangers Facing Coral Reefs Today

Mr.Curtin [GKK1] Comment to Glenn

Starfish Plague

Since the early 1960s, the population of the starfish Acanthaster planci has increased in many coral reefs of the Indian and western Pacific oceans. Called the “crown of thorns[LG2]” starfish due to its spiny appearance, it is a fast-moving animal that can kill up to 90 percent of the coral animals on a reef.[1]

Coral Bleaching

Coral reefs have recently been affected by bleaching, that is, the discoloration or loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae.

Human Development

Today coral reefs face pressures that they have never before encountered. Human development near coral reefs threatens the existence of these long-lived, complex, biological systems.[2]

Humans pollute coral reefs in the following ways:

Proposed Fundraising Activity

Our group is very interested in getting our school to raise funds to help preserve a coral reef – maybe in Florida since it’s in the United States. In order to promote this fundraising effort in our community, we’ll need some funds to get the word out. A schedule of events posted to our web site and available in the school office will make it easy for the community to get involved.

Budget and Forecast

[GKK1]1Mr. Curtin, is there any problem with our including photos from Encarta if we include citations?

[LG2]1 There is a great photograph of the crown of thorns in the Coral Reef Collage found within Encarta 97's Coral Reef article. We should add here.