The value for global economic annually is anywhere between 29.8 to 375 Billions Dollars. Coral Reef ecosystems are very fragile, mainly because they are sensitive to warm temperatures.
There are many different types of Coral Reefs: Fringing Reef, Barrier Reef, Atoll Reef, Patch Reef, Apron Reef, Bank Reef, Ribbon Reef and Table Reef.
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/2/3/28236707/8346188.jpeg)
Stony Coral consists of polyps that cluster into groups. The polyps belong in a group called Cnidaria. This contains sea anemones and jellyfish.
Fringing Reefs are attached to the shore.
Barrier Reefs are separated from a mainland or island shore by a lagoon.
Atoll Reefs extends all the way around a lagoon without a central island.
Patch Reefs are isolated and very common.
Apron Reefs are short and they resemble a fringing reef. The only difference is they are more sloped.
Bank Reefs are linear shaped and are larger than a patch reef.
Ribbon Reefs are long and narrow. They are also associated with an atoll lagoon.
Table Reef are also isolated.
Barrier Reefs are separated from a mainland or island shore by a lagoon.
Atoll Reefs extends all the way around a lagoon without a central island.
Patch Reefs are isolated and very common.
Apron Reefs are short and they resemble a fringing reef. The only difference is they are more sloped.
Bank Reefs are linear shaped and are larger than a patch reef.
Ribbon Reefs are long and narrow. They are also associated with an atoll lagoon.
Table Reef are also isolated.
Two groups of animals inhabit the coral reefs: vertebrates and invertebrates. In case you didn’t know vertebrates are animals with backbone like fish, sea snakes, sea turtles, and manatees and invertebrates are animals without backbones like sponges, echinoderms, mollusks, crustaceans, and polychaetes.
Abiotic factors are celestial, earth, chemical & major events.
Biotic factors are life cycles, migration behavior patterns, population dynamics, adaptations, species interactions, & the atmosphere
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/2/3/28236707/9386507.jpeg)
One of the largest coral reefs is located off the southern coast of Florida and is called the Great Barrier Reef.
They form natural barriers along continents that protect shorelines from erosion. There is a dominant organism in the coral reef and that is corals. Corals aren’t hard and stony like many people believe they are actually soft invertebrates that just live in stone like structures. Also coral reefs are very sensitive to changes that occur in the environments.
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/2/3/28236707/652952.jpeg)
Death of a reef can occur when the changes result in naturally events like increase in sediment from a tsunami.
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/2/3/28236707/3590871.jpeg)
Death can also occur when land development happens and harvesting for calcium carbonate, but sometimes the reef gets lucky and is just harmed.
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/2/3/28236707/750076.jpeg)
Ecologists monitor reefs and their environments just so they can help protect them.
Reef building corals can occur in a variety of growth forms.
In deeper waters in the reefs located in the north coast of Jamaica you will find a greatly flattened species of Montastrea. This is very closely related to the mound building Monsastrea annularis which is located in shallow waters.
In deeper waters in the reefs located in the north coast of Jamaica you will find a greatly flattened species of Montastrea. This is very closely related to the mound building Monsastrea annularis which is located in shallow waters.
Work Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/HSC_Geography/Ecosystems_at_Risk
http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/coralreef.html
Textbook - Page 81
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/HSC_Geography/Ecosystems_at_Risk
http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/coralreef.html
Textbook - Page 81