Coral Reefs Essay -- Ecology Environment Environmental Essays

Coral ReefsCoral let downs be one of the oldest types of living systems on earth, and certainly one of the most spectacular (Goreau, 1987). They are massive underwater structures make by the limestone skeletons of tiny invertebrate animals. Reefs house a greater diversity of body images, chemistry, and animal phyla (thirty-two compared to the eight that inhabit the most biodiversity ecosystems on land). Phyla comprise the minute of arc largest category of living things, after kingdoms. Coral animals begin life as free-floating larvae, but settle on the sea floor in sedentary colonies. The frontier coral applies both to these animals and to their skeletons, particularly the skeletons of stone-like corals (Discover 1997). Many different organisms, including mollusks, sponges, and worms, help shape reefs, but hard corals and various algae are the major architects. In effect, the corals form limestone, because their skeletons are made of Calcium Carbonate. The skeletons deposited by these corals and other organisms accumulate, along with sand and other debris, to form the backbone of the reef. Over tens of thousands of years, chemical and mechanical changes turn the reef into true rock (Alstyne and Paul, 1988). The body of a coral animal consists of a polyp, which is the living portion of the coral. A polyp is a hollow, cylindrical structure link at one end to a surface, the other end is a m forbiddenh surrounded by tentacles, which gather food and can sting target area to paralyze it. Polyps live in colonies, which grow from 1 to 7 inches, depending on the species. Coral polyps are classified as animals. Microscopic algae live inside the animal tissues in a symbiotic relationship. The algae turn sunlight into carbon and sugars, which are then available to the polyp. In turn the polyp filters particles out of the water and excretes waste (nitrogen and phosphorus) that becomes available to the symbiotic algae. Its this very tight nutritive recycling with in the coral itself that allows these corals to live in very low nutrient waters. There are three kinds of reefs atolls, barrier reefs, and fringing reefs. Atolls are formed out in the middle of the ocean by volcanic subsidence, while fringing and barrier reefs form near continents. Florida contains both of these kinds of reefs, not as far offshore as Australias Great Barrier Reef, b... ...al life. Another way that corral growth is controlled is by the weather. all(a) of these are natural occurrences. This should not be confused with human use and disruption which does major harm.The fourth and final principle of sustainability is that biodiversity must be maintained. This is where we are playing a devastating role to the survival to the reefs. Through human waste and consumption time will only tell if they will survive. I hope that by reading this paper someday we can make a difference.Works CitedCoral Color. November 1997. Discover Magazine-Current Clips. P10Cousteau, J. Y. 1985. The Ocean World. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 174-175. Goreau, Thomas. distinguished 1987. Coral and Coral Parks. Scientific American. V11334-36Luoma, Jon R. Nov. 1996. Reef Madness Audubon. V98 n6. P24(3).Richmond, R. H. 1993. Coral Reefs Present problems and Future Concerns Resulting form Anthropogenic Disturbance. American Zoologist. V33 P524-536.Van Alstyne, K. L. and V. J. Paul. 1988. The Role of Secondary Metabolites in Marine Ecological Interactions. Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Australia, Vol. 1.