Taking up less than 1% of the planet, coral reefs are home to more than a quarter of all known marine fish. From the Great Barrier Reef to the Caribbean’s treasures, they are an integral part of ocean life.. Coral reefs are some of the most valuable ecosystems on the planet. If you need a custom essay or research paper on this topic, please use our writing services.EssayEmpire.com offers reliable custom essay writing services that can help you to receive high grades and impress your professors with the quality of each essay or research paper you hand in. This is to say the size and the same of the reef itself in relation to any nearby land. The Coral Reef Ecosystems SciPack, co-developed between NOAA and NSTA, explores the unique and diverse ecosystem of the coral reef. Many think that coral reef … They teem with life, with perhaps one-quarter of all ocean species depending on reefs for food and shelter. Another common example of parasitic reef dwellers are flatworms. Coral reefs benefit the environment and people in numerous ways. An estimated 20% of the global corals are threatened by exposure to toxic substances. The shrimp or cleaning fish remove materials, such as parasites, off of the larger marine organisms, in which they get a meal from, and the larger marine organisms have potentially harmful parasites removed! noun: community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area. Without coral, the ocean would lose a huge diversity of life. Reefs can transition from coral to algal dominance (Mumby et al. Coral reefs and savannas are often used as examples of systems with abrupt shifts between ecosystem states (Scheffer and Carpenter 2003). The world has lost 30 to 50 percent of its coral reefs already. Coral reefs are important to marine animals as they provide them food, shelter and breeding grounds. This is a remarkable statistic when you consider that reefs cover just a tiny fraction (less than one percent) of the earth’s surface and less than two percent of the ocean bottom. Coral Reef Biome If you've ever scuba-dived or snorkeled near a coral reef, then you know that these series of small and gigantic structures are part of an interesting yet sensitive ecosystem. Coral reefs cover an area of over 280,000 km 2 and support thousands of species in what many describe as the rainforests of the seas. Abiotic Factors: Some of the abiotic factors include light penetration, salt, viscosity, and water density. For example, they. Reef types are differentiated in large-scale along the reef's morphology. conserve coral-reef ecosystems. Nutrients are generally recognized as beneficial for marine ecosystems; however, coral reefs are adapted to low nutrient levels; so an excess of nutrients can lead to the growth of algae that blocks sunlight and consumes oxygen corals need for respiration. Nevertheless, many examples of successful conserva-tion exist from the national level to community-enforced local action. 2007 ), whereas savannas can transition from grass to tree dominance (Bond 2019 ). number (Hubbell 1997) are good examples. Ranging in size, color, and species, these animals of the phylum Platyhelminthes are parasitic on reefs in many different ways. Similarly, reef management and restoration initiatives often focus on coral cover. The marine animals utilize coral reefs as their habitat, as a source of food, and as a catalyst for community interactions. Babbitt, Secretary, ”S Department of the Interior Coral reefs are outstanding examples of marine ecosys-tems. ... ecosystem. A Plan to Save Coral Reefs. Again, a more specific example of facultative mutualism that is more so related to the coral reef ecosystem, is the relationship between shrimp or smaller fish and large marine organisms. Coral reefs are very special ecosystems that are millions of years old. The three zones are physically and ecologically interconnected. They are also the basis for the formation of other ecosystems. The volcano eventually moves off of the hot spot through a process known as plate tectonics.Once this occurs the volcano can no longer keep up with the erosion that is taking place due to the ocean and undergoes subsidence. One example of a parasitic relationship in coral reefs includes crustaceans from the Copepoda or Isopoda orders, which attach to fish in the reefs, sometimes causing harm but at other times simply holding on and feeding on food particles that float by them. The third and longest global coral bleaching event on record started in 2014 and continues to damage reefs around the globe. This often results in an imbalance affecting the entire ecosystem. Coral reefs are the most diverse of all marine ecosystems. Some species are corallivorous, which occasionally poses a threat to ecosystems that are already seeing heavy loss of coral cover. Protect shores from the impact of … energy. Coral reefs are comprised of numerous Cnidarian species that grow sympatrically to form structured colonies. Coral reef ecosystems are highly valued for their biological, ecological, cultural, and economic resources, as well as their aesthetic qualities (Figure 1). Coral reef colonies support a wide range of marine wildlife. Saving and restoring the world's coral reefs requires a multi-pronged approach that ranges from the local to the global level. Coral reef ecosystems are rapidly degrading due to local and global pressures [].Overfishing, pollution, declining water quality, disease and outbreaks of coral predating crown-of-thorns starfish are responsible for localised reef degradation [] while climate change is impacting reefs on a global scale, including remote reefs with little local anthropogenic pressure []. Coral islands begin as a volcanic island over a hot spot.As the volcano emerges from the sea a fringing reef grows on the outskirt of the volcano. The main chemical threats are pollution by oil and oil dispersants, industrial chemicals … It is not too late to conserve coral reef ecosystems. how corals and coral reef ecosystems might be better conserved or restored (Hughes et al., 2017; Jackson et al., 2014; Pandolfi et al., 2003). 2003) and yet cover less than 1% of the earth’s surface. Coral reefs are believed by many to have the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet—even more than a tropical rainforest. food chain. Light penetration refers to how deep the sunlight reaches in the reefs. Reef types and reef formations can be easily categorized along these lines. Home / Coral Reefs 101 / Coral Reef Ecology / Coral Reef Biodiversity Coral Reef Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety of living species that can be found in a particular place—region, ecosystem, planet, etc. To keep the wild ecosystem alive, Muller and her team are harvesting samples of the corals that have survived the environmental stresses naturally, breeding them by … Coral reef ecosystems contain distinct zones that host different kinds of habitats. Worldwide, coral reef ecosystems provide over $30 billion in annual goods and services (Cesar et al. Types of Coral Reefs. Coral reefs are often referred to as the “rainforests of the ocean” because these ecosystems teem with life – an estimated one-quarter of marine species rely on them for food or shelter. In this example of a coral reef, there are producers, consumers, and decomposers. 3 Plants and Vegetation . Coral reefs are amongst the most diverse ecosystems in the world. This Coral Reefs Essay example is published for educational and informational purposes only. Coral reefs are considered to be one of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on earth. Producers make up the first trophic level. Usually, three major zones are recognized: the fore reef, reef crest, and the back reef (frequently referred to as the reef lagoon). Coral reefs are an essential component to the ecosystems in Hawaii. Coral polyps, the animals who responsible for building reefs, can identify as many types: large reef-building plantation, graceful flowing fans, and even small, sui generis organisms.Thousands of species of corals have been discovered; some live in warm, shallow, tropical seas and others in the cold, dark depths of the ocean. Coral reef ecosystems are regarded as one of the most sophisticated and highly productive marine ecosystems and are known to support a high diversity of marine organisms and provide ecosystem services to mankind. Dive beneath the ocean waves and explore the unique and diverse relationships found on a coral reef. In a coral reef there are many sorts of animals such as Angel Fish, Jelly Fish, Scorpion Fish, Sea Anemone, Hermit Crabs, Star Fish, Sea Horses, Barracuda, Silver Tip Shark, Sponge, Mandarin Fish, Clown Fish (picture beside), Octopus, Sting Rays and many, many more. A robotic arm takes a sample from a 500-metre-tall coral reef discovered by Australian scientists, off Australia's Great Barrier Reef, in this still image taken from video provided on … First, we provide examples of the provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services underpinned by coral reef ecosystems. How do species interact on a coral reef? When effectively managed, protected areas have contributed to regeneration of coral reefs and stocks of associated marine resources. Without significant intervention, tropical reef ecosystems could face global extinction by the end of the century. An ecosystem, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is everything that exists in a particular environment. Coral reef ecosystems are one of the unique ecosystems in the world. Unlike other marine ecosystems, coral reefs support more species per unit area, including about 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals, and hundreds of other marine life. In addition to corals and brightly-colored fish, sponges, sea anemones, sea urchins and clams make their homes in coral reefs. First, we provide examples of the provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services underpinned by coral reef ecosystems. Because the Standards and Benchmarks present the concepts of populations and ecosystems generically, without … While it's true coral reef ecosystems have been knocked down, they have certainly not been knocked out. In fact, the grazing of coral formations by hordes of parrotfish leads to the formation of very large expanses of sand; this, through the action of currents, leads to the formation of shallows, islands and above all, in favourable areas, to the formation of mangroves and other coastal forests. Coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the Earth’s surface yet feed and shelter a significant amount of marine life, including some 4,000 species of fish. noun: capacity to do work. We conclude that coral reef ecosystem service research has lagged behind multidisciplinary advances in broader ecosystem services science, such as an explicit recognition that interactions between social and ecological systems underpin ecosystem services. ecosystem services from coral reefs? The Coral Reef Ecosystems Interactive E-book* explores the structure and inhabitants of a living reef.From the anatomy and reproduction of corals, to their interdependence on other inhabitants of the reef, to the impact of disasters on a reef ecosystem, this Enhanced E-book discusses what a coral reef ecosystem needs to survive and thrive and why coral reef ecosystems are important to our ocean. 2. The focus is on Standards and Benchmarks related to populations and ecosystems using coral reefs and their immediate environment as an example. Coral reef ecosystems: boundary conditions ÔÔ2 to some degree, an ecosystem is in the eye of the beholder.ÕÕ —B. Coral reefs comprise less than 1% of the world’s oceans, yet, they are the habitat of approximately one quarter of the Earth’s marine species. Title: Coral Reef Ecosystem 1 CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS by FREYJA JAYNE 2 Animals in a coral reef. 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