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    Assignments - Lesson Plan - Coral Reef Article With Resourcesdocx

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    Coral reefs are located in warm, tropical oceans around the world. They form in shallow water depths of 150 feet or less that receive plenty of sunlight. Coral reefs support tremendous biodiversity and are home to over 25% of marine species. The coral polyps and algae have a symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit through the exchange of nutrients and oxygen. Many fish, sea turtles, and other marine animals rely on coral reefs for food and shelter from predators. Unfortunately, coral reefs are threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

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    Assignments - Lesson Plan - Coral Reef Article With Resourcesdocx

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    575 views9 pages
    Coral reefs are located in warm, tropical oceans around the world. They form in shallow water depths of 150 feet or less that receive plenty of sunlight. Coral reefs support tremendous biodiversity and are home to over 25% of marine species. The coral polyps and algae have a symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit through the exchange of nutrients and oxygen. Many fish, sea turtles, and other marine animals rely on coral reefs for food and shelter from predators. Unfortunately, coral reefs are threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

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    Coral reefs are located in warm, tropical oceans around the world. They form in shallow water depths of 150 feet or less that receive plenty of sunlight. Coral reefs support tremendous biodiversity and are home to over 25% of marine species. The coral polyps and algae have a symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit through the exchange of nutrients and oxygen. Many fish, sea turtles, and other marine animals rely on coral reefs for food and shelter from predators. Unfortunately, coral reefs are threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    575 views9 pages

    Assignments - Lesson Plan - Coral Reef Article With Resourcesdocx

    Uploaded by

    api-359843447
    Coral reefs are located in warm, tropical oceans around the world. They form in shallow water depths of 150 feet or less that receive plenty of sunlight. Coral reefs support tremendous biodiversity and are home to over 25% of marine species. The coral polyps and algae have a symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit through the exchange of nutrients and oxygen. Many fish, sea turtles, and other marine animals rely on coral reefs for food and shelter from predators. Unfortunately, coral reefs are threatened by climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    Coral reefs are found in warm, tropical oceans and provide habitat for many types of plants and animals. They also benefit humans by providing food and protecting coastlines.

    The main producers in the coral reef ecosystem are algae, seagrasses, phytoplankton, and zooxanthellae algae that live inside coral polyps.

    Many types of fish, sea turtles, sea urchins, sponges, worms, snails, shrimp, sea horses, manta rays, octopus, whales and more live in coral reefs. They eat algae, plankton, smaller fish and invertebrates. Sea turtles and parrotfish also eat coral algae.

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    CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM

    LOCATION: Coral reefs are found in clear, tropical oceans. Coral reefs
    form in shallow water because they need sunlight. The largest reef in the
    world is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is is longer than 1600 miles.
    That is longer than the distance from Grand Rapids, MI to Orlando, FL!
    2

    World Map: The red dots show where the coral reefs are

    Most coral reefs form in water that is 0 - 150 feet deep

    HABITAT: Coral reefs need warm water that is between 68 - 82F. Reefs
    develop in areas that have a lot of waves because the waves bring in food
    and oxygen to the reef. Waves help stop tiny rocks, called sediment, from
    falling on the reef. Sediment can stop sunlight from reaching the coral.

    PRODUCERS

    PLANTS: The sun gives energy to the coral reef system. Algae,
    seagrasses, and tiny ocean plants, called phytoplankton, live there.
    These plants convert light energy into chemical energy. This is called
    3

    photosynthesis. As animals eat the plants and other animals, energy is


    passed through the food web.

    Seagrass Algae growing on top of coral

    The algae and seagrasses give food and oxygen to the animals that live
    on the reef. Seagrasses are especially important because they provide
    shelter for reef animals, like lobsters.

    See the brown algae? Zooxanthellae (zo-zan-THEL-lee) live inside coral polyps

    Corals work together with tiny algae, called zooxanthellae, that live in their
    tissue. The zooxanthellae give oxygen and food to the coral through
    4

    photosynthesis. The coral polyps give a home and carbon dioxide to the
    zooxanthellae through respiration.

    CONSUMERS
    ANIMALS: Corals are the most plentiful animal on the reef. Coral polyps
    are tiny creatures. They attach themselves to the hard reef and live in one
    spot forever. What we think of as coral is made of hundreds or even
    thousands of polyps!

    Coral polyp: Its mouth is at the center of its tentacles

    Corals are closely related to jellyfish and sea anemones. They use their
    tentacles for defense and to capture their prey. The algae that lives inside
    coral is what makes coral so colorful!
    5

    Did you know that there are more types of fish in two acres of a coral reef
    than there are types of birds on North America? Shocking, isnt it? Coral
    reefs only make up about 1% of the ocean floor. But, they house nearly
    25% of life in the ocean. Some animals use coral reefs as a stopping point,
    as they travel across the ocean. Other animals live in the reef.

    Parrotfish Sea turtle

    Animals come to the reef because it gives them food. Animals, like the sea
    turtle and the parrotfish, eat algae off the coral. The parrotfishs beak is so
    strong, it can even eat coral!
    6

    Fish take shelter under table coral

    The coral reef also gives animals shelter from bigger animals that want to
    eat them! Bigger fish and animals come to the reef to eat smaller animals
    and plants. Sharks even come to the reef. One animal that they eat is the
    sea turtle!

    Other animals that live on the coral reef include sea urchins, sponges,
    worms, snails, shrimp, sea horses, manta rays, octopus, whales and
    many more! Many of these animals work together as a team, like the coral
    polyps and zooxanthellae. This teamwork is called symbiosis.

    One example of symbiosis on the reef is the clownfish and sea anemone.
    The sea anemones tentacles provide shelter for the fish and their eggs.
    The clownfish protect the anemone from predators, such as butterflyfish.
    Sometimes clownfish even remove parasites from their home anemone.
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    Clownfish and sea anemones

    PEOPLE AND CORAL REEFS: Coral reef ecosystems are important for
    humans too! Reefs give humans food, like lobster and fish. Reefs help
    prevent global warming because they recycle carbon dioxide. Reefs
    protect land from strong waves and storms.

    Fishing boat with big commercial net


    8

    References

    Article (Adapted):

    Coral Reef. National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis: Kids Do Ecology. 2004.
    http://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/coralreef.html

    Images

    Great Barrier Reef. Green Peace. http://www.greenpeace.org.au/blog/why-the-great-barrier-reef-is-dying/

    Coral Reef Map. Ducksters. http://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/coral_reef_biome.php

    Coral Reef Zones. Ducksters. http://www.ducksters.com/science/ecosystems/coral_reef_biome.php

    Seagrass. Marine Biology in Belize.


    http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~jdirnber/MarBioBelize/Lectures/IntroMarEcol/IntroMarEcol.html

    Algae. The Nanite Solution. September 23, 2015.


    https://thenanitesolution.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/ocean-ecosystems-coral-reef-case-study/

    Zooxanthellae. Smithsonian. http://ocean.si.edu/slideshow/zooxanthellae-and-coral-bleaching

    Coral Polyp. Darwins Reef Exploration Team. http://darwinsreef.pbworks.com/w/page/66265215/Coral


    %20Polyp

    Caribbean Reef. The Nanite Solution. September 23, 2015.


    https://thenanitesolution.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/ocean-ecosystems-coral-reef-case-study/

    Parrotfish. Sunil Fish Aquarium. http://sunilfishaquarium.weebly.com/parrot-fish.html

    Sea Turtle. The Nanite Solution. September 23, 2015.


    https://thenanitesolution.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/ocean-ecosystems-coral-reef-case-study/

    Fish Take Shelter Under Table Coral. ABC. July 1, 2015.


    http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2015/07/01/4265181.htm

    Clownfish and Sea Anemones. Instructables.


    https://cdn.instructables.com/FM3/9WFN/HSGFXHI4/FM39WFNHSGFXHI4.MEDIUM.jpg
    9

    Commercial Fishing Boat. Hydrogen Generators USA. http://www.hydrogen-generators-


    usa.com/images/commercial-fishing-boat.jpg

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