Coral+Reef

Coral Reef

Introduction:
What is a biome? A biome is a biological community that occurs under similar environments throughout the world, commonly known as an ecosystem. One of the most important marine biomes is coral reef. Coral Reef is the formation of hard skeletal calcium carbonate generated by marine polyps and are typically categorized into two distinct regions: Wider Caribbean (Atlantic Ocean) and the Indo-Pacific. Coral Reefs can be located near the equator within tropical and subtropical waters. The largest Coral Reef today is the Great Barrier Reef which is located in Australia. The second largest, located on the coast of Belize in Central America.

Geographic Regions and Abiotic Factors:
Coral Reefs can be located in all of the worlds oceans that consist of tropical portions. However, they only cover a small proportion of the total ocean surface making a home to about 25% of known marine species. Just like any other place on our planet coral reefs have a climate. This biome's climate contains clear, clean warm and agitated waters. These climate conditions are caused by the sun shining on the water, resulting in warmth of water.

Flora:
Vegetation that grows around the coral reefs is algae, sea-grass, and mangroves. Algae are unicellular or multi-cellular that produces their food by photosynthesis. Algae adapted to the coral reefs environment by settling in with the polyps of the coral. Algae and the coral help each survive, the algae gives oxygen and food to the corals while the coral lets the algae live in the reef. Sea-grass is flowering plants that reproduce asexually or sexually. Sea-grass adapted to the coral reefs environment by trapping sediments behind the coral reefs. Likewise, sea-grass provides oxygen and food for coral reefs. Mangroves are various types of trees that vary in size and height that live above sea water. Mangroves adapted to the coral reefs environment by growing behind sea-grass and coral reefs. Mangroves use their roots to trap and stop heavy sediments from coming to sea-grass and the coral reef. The vegetation that grows around the coral reef is essential for marine life.

Fauna:
Thousands of spieces of fish and invertebrates live in the area of reefs,which is the most diverse habitat in the ocean. many animals use coral reefs as shelter and as a source of food. Sea anemones, sea jellies, sea urchin, sponges, worms, rays, lobsters, snails and many more all live in coral reefs and adapt to the environment. The spotted eel, or spotted moray, is a medium sized eel found around the Bahamas and the Atlantic ocean. It grows 3-4 feet at adult size. It bites its prey using sharp teeth and its bite is also dangerous to humans. The queen trigger fish is 8 to 24 inches. It navigates reef tops, coral rubble, and grass beds by swimming with its dorsal and its fins. Most fish stay and life at the bottom of the coral reefs to hide from predators.

**Interesting Facts:**

 * =====There are two types of corals: hard and soft. The scleractinia which are hard corals, such as brain, star, stag-horn, elk-horn corals have rigid exoskeletons, or corllities, which protects their soft delicate bodies. The Gorgonias which are soft corals like sea fans, sea whips, they sway with currents and lack an exoskeleton.=====
 * =====60% of the world's reefs are found in the Indian Ocean and Red sea, 25% are located in the Pacific Ocean, and 15% in the Caribbean.=====
 * =====Coral Reefs are found in 109 countries throughout the world, but its is estimated that in 93 countries the Coral Reefs have been damaged or destroyed by human activity.=====



Citations:
[|http://reefrelief.org]/

"Coral and coral reef." //The Gale Encyclopedia of Science //. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. 4th ed. Detroit: Gale, 2010. //Gale Student Resources In Context //. Web. 12 Nov. 2010.

"Coral Reef." //Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia.// Grolier Online, 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.