Transcript Coral Reefs - Teens4Oceans

Coral Reefs
Facts about Coral Reefs
• Largest living thing on Earth
• Covers less than 1% of the Earth’s
Surface
• Needs sunlight to grow
Did You Know?
• Coral are animals
• Plants live inside of
them
• Two kinds
– Soft corals
– Hard corals (These
build reefs!)
• Made of tiny polyps
Coral Reefs- Underwater structures
made from calcium carbonate
secreted by corals
Types of
Reefs
Fringing Reefs
• Grow close to shore
• Shallow lagoon or no
lagoon at all
• Encounter coastal
development and
pollution because of
being on the Island
Barrier Reefs
• Parallel to the shore
• Separated by a wide
lagoon with deep
portions
• Example: Great Barrier
Reef
• Largest barrier reefs
develop on edges of
continental shelves
Atoll Reefs
• Circular reef
surrounding a large,
deep central lagoon
• Common in Indo-Pacific
region
• 100 miles in diameter
Benefits to the Environment
• Used for food and medicine
• Economic benefits (tourism, jobs and food)
- $375 billion a year
• Breeding grounds for marine animals (fish)
• Protects shores from waves and storms
• Home & shelter to 25% of the fish in the
ocean
Major Threats to Coral Reefs
• Ocean Water Pollution- oil, pesticides, and
sewage contaminate the oceans
• Global Warming- Increase in carbon dioxide
leads to rise in ocean water temp
• Bleaching- Algae that lives with the coral are
sensitive to temperature.
– Leave coral behind when too warm
– Color disappears
– Coral becomes a white “dead looking coral”
Bleaching
Threats (Continued)
• Human Activities
- Dropping of boat anchors
- Lobster traps
- Fishing line
- Fishing nets
• We are in danger of losing 70% of the
World’s Coral Reefs in the next 50 years.
What can WE do to save Coral Reefs?
• Reduce Pollution
- Reduce, Reuse , and
Recycle, to eliminate
negative impacts of pollution
on health of oceans
• Walk, bike or ride the bus
• Conserve water: Less water
we use, less wastewater that
finds its way into oceans.
Every simple thing you do to
help save coral reefs makes a
difference!