Coral Reef

By: Ian ChartierNick Capalbo

Jansen RiddickJoshua CalvinShaun Eisner

The Reef Itself

Coral reefs can be found in areas from Central America to the land down under. The largest coral reef on Earth is the Great Barrier Reef is located East of Australia. Temperatures can range from 24 to 33 degrees Celsius in the summer and 14 to 26 degrees Celsius in the winter. Since the coral reef is underwater, it is impossible to record precipitation. They also have seasons, but because they are in tropical waters, they are warm year round.

Animal Life

There are many different species of marine life, but these are just a few of them.

The Manta Ray

The manta ray is the largest species of ray with a wing span of 12ft. Across. It’s prey consists of krill because it doesn’t have teeth. The manta ray can be found worldwide, but has a slow reproduction rate.

Portuguese Man of War

The Portuguese man of war is often mistaken for a jellyfish, however it’s actually a colony of tiny organisms working together to survive.

This term is called a siphonophore.It can grow up to 165 feet long (that's 35 ft.

less then the amusement ride, the Goliath), but they usually only reach 30 feet. It is also a carnivore.

The Clownfish

The clownfish is a species of fish where they all look identical making them the most recognizable fish in the reef and reach about 4.3 inches. Before finding a home in an anemone, they must perform a ritual in which touching the anemone tentacles before entering. All clownfish are born male, until future years in which they can switch their gender.

The Saw Fish

The saw fish can weigh up to 400 lbs. and 20 ft. long. It actually has a sixth sense in which it can sense electric waves coming near by. It also uses it’s long snout to split it’s prey in half, thus giving it the name sawfish. Not much else can be said about the sawfish because we don’t know very much about it.

The Electric eel

It turns out that electric eels actually are catfish despite their appearance. Electric eels can generate electric charges up to 600 volts for defense and for eating.

They build up these charges with 6000 electrolyte cells. They can also reach up to 8 feet and weigh 44 pounds. Human deaths are quite rare, but it has happened multiple times.

Plants

Like the vast array of marine animals, the same differs with plant life.

Sea Grass

Like other underwater plants sea grass has to stay in shallow waters and is held down by mud or sand. There are about 60 known species of sea grass.

Seaweed

Seaweed is actually killing coral reefs. Like kudzu, seaweed has been spreading rapidly and turning coral into brown mush. Seaweed is also killing sea urchins that live in coral reefs which is shortening the population.

Sea Sponge

For 2,300 years, the sea sponges were used as mops and sponges. The actually filter feed like an animal and can regenerate their bodies. The sea sponge is also the second most common species of plant in the coral reef and is mostly found in the coral reef of Jamaica.

Coral

Coral creates reefs by attaching to a rock and multiplying. It will usually form in shallow waters so the algae can absorb the sun’s rays. The reefs are known to support 25% of marine life.

Mangrove

Mangroves support much more life than we would think. Above the water, it’s a large nest for birds. Under the water, they provide a shelter for fish.

Other Organisms

There are also many other organisms that are neither plants or animals.

Phytoplankton

All phytoplankton get their energy from photosynthesis. The two most common forms of phytoplankton are called diatoms or dinoflagellates. They will wrap themselves around prey and absorb energy.

Zooplankton

Zooplankton are the animal form of plankton. They get there food from eating other organisms. They also have been known to carry deadly diseases.

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