Threats to Coral Reefs
Major threats to coral reefs
Where coral reefs are located
- Near the equator
- The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
- The 2nd largest coral reef can be found off the coast of Belize in Central America
- Hawaii
- Red Sea
- Tropical oceans
Threats and what they do
- Climate change - Coral reefs need cold water to survive but when the Water is to warm it causes bleaching, which means the coral is dying and since fish depend on coral reefs it affects the food web.
- Land-based pollution (plastic and pipes) - Coral Reefs need clean water and pollution can make susceptible to disease, impede coral growth, reproduction, and changes in the food structures.
Angle Fish
Angle fish lives in coral reefs and help corals reefs as well.
Bleached coral reefs
What happens when the water is too warm.
Them together
Perfect temperature for coral reefs is 73° and 84° Fahrenheit or 23°– 29°Celsius, anything higher or below 64° Fahrenheit/18° Celsius will kill it.
Animals that live in the ecosystem.
Starfish
Coral eating starfish are important since it tends to feed on the fastest growing corals such as staghorns and plate corals. Slower growth allows coral species to form colonies.
Rabbitfish
Rabbitfish eat algae. Algae kills the coral reef and rabbitfish get rid of the problem.
parrot fish
Parrot fish make the white sand of tropical islands by eating algae and chewing up the coral reef, creating bioerosion.
Nocturnal Planktivores
Nocturnal Planktivores eat zooplankton at night so there aren't a lot of them in the coral reef.
Clownfish
Clown fish eat plankton. They won't get stung by the Coral reef since clownfish can repel it.
Plants
zooxanthellae
Reef building corals that work together with microscopic algae is called zooxanthellae, that lives in the tissue. Zooxanthellae provide oxygen and food to the coral through photosynthesis.
algae
Algae use light energy to do photosynthesis. Animals eat the algae and uses it's energy so creating the food chain.
seagrass
Seagrasses are the main types of plants in the coral reef ecosystem. They give food and oxygen to the animals that live on the reef.