Coral ReefsBy Touqa

Picture Bibliography: http://www.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/green/2009/08/03/reef625x416600x399.jpg

Where is the Coral Reefs located?

Picture: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/media/coral05a_480.jpg

Coral Reefs are located around the globe in warm waters and they are mostly located in Australia, Mexico, Egypt and many many more places.

http://geography.about.com/od/lists/a/The-Worlds-10-Largest-Coral-Reefs.htm information bibliography

Coral Reef Animals There are lots of animals in the coral

reef and some of them are Dwarf Minke Whales Dugongs Sea Snakes Sea turtles Humpback whales I will be telling you on how they adapt in

the Coral Reefs.

Dwarf Minke Whales and normal whales

Have blow holes on the top if there body so they can breath

They have a fat layer of skin called blubber which helps them stay warm

Bubble netting- to help them catch more fish

Something extraordinary is that they can store oxygen in there muscles so they can stay underwater for a long period of time

Info: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_adaptations_of_a_dwarf_minke_whale

Picture: http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/1x9112136/.jpg

Dugongs Dugongs have similar

adaptations to whales but they can’t keep breath for a long time underwater and most whales are predators unlike dugongs they are preys

But they have 2 eyes at the sides of there heads to look out for predators

They also have flattened tales to help them swim away from predators

Info: http://lifeofadugong.blogspot.com/2012/04/adaptations.html

Info& picture: http://www.reefed.edu.au/home/explorer/animals/marine_vertebrates/marine_mammals/dugongs

Sea Snakes It has strong lungs to help it be

under water for about 2 hours

They also have a great ability of camouflaging

Sea snakes developed a flattened paddle-shaped tail and a laterally compressed body making it an efficient swimmer.

Sea snake have a tooth to help them catch or paralyze or even kill its prey

İnfo and pic http://w3.shorecrest.org/~Lisa_Peck/MarineBio/syllabus/ch9vertebrates/reptilesandbirds/repbirdwp/tess/adapt.html

http://www.afpmb.org/sites/default/files/Living_Hazards/580-Animals-Snakes-False%20Horned%20Viper%20FangsIraqBySCole090905.JPG

Sea turtles

They are very strong swimmers

They have paddle like flippers to help them swim together

The sea turtle can blend in with the help of the shell

The sea turtle is not a predator for it is a carnivore and it is a prey for humans

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/sea-turtle/adaptations.htm

Plants

There are a lot of plants at the coral reefs but I am looking into a few only.

Sea anemones Giant clams Sea grasses/ sea weed Mangroves

I am going to tell you about how they help animals and other plants in the coral reefs

I am also going to say how they in adapt to the coral reef.

Sea anemones Sea anemones can sting

with there tentacles which helps protecting it

sea anemones survive at the coral reefs by getting a ride on the hermit crabs which helps it move around and to camouflage.

The sea anemone provides the hermit crab with food this act is called Mutualism.

Info and picture 2:http://www.users.on.net/~jamesmosby/anemone/habitat.html

Picture 1: http://www.brandoncole.com/profile%20photos/HABITATS/tidepool/jz1134.jpg

Giant Clams

Giant clams Find a place and stay there for the left of their life's

Giant clams provide a home for the algae but the algae does not do any harm or does not benefit it. This is called commensalism.

Picture and info: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/giant-clam/

Sea Grass-Sea Weed Sea Grasses and sea

weed have adapted to live in a rocky environment.

It gives food and oxygen to the coral reefs but doesn’t get anything in return this is called commensalism.

it also helps when it is dead it usually stays on the ground but by time it grows again

Info and Pic:http://coralreefbiomes2.wikispaces.com/Adaptations

Mangroves

Mangroves don’t live in the coral reefs but they live at the top, but it is very useful to the reef.

Firstly it provides a nourishing habitat for the marine life

Some of the mangrove trees preserve water because some of them live in hot climates.

Pic: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Mangroves.jpg

Abiotic-Rainfall

The Rainfall in the coral reef depends on the place but it rains heavily in February.

The Coral Reef Get about 12-33 inches per year but as I said it depends on the place

In Australia’s Coral Reef it gets about 2 meters of rain per year.

Info:http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091114144730AAbqIiT

Pic:http://nowiknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rain.jpeg

Abiotic-TemperatureCorals can not

stand temperatures that drop much below an average of 18°C. but the average is 23-25 degree’s Celsius.

How to protect the Coral Reefs?

Follow the three R’s: Reduce, reuse and recycle which will help keep the coral’s clean.

When scuba divers dive don’t touch Dead Or Alive.

Keep the environment clean don’t pollute.And last but most importantly SPREAD

THE WORD.

Info: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110324182441

Thank you

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