The Beauty of Nature//

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Corals Need THREE things to survive! The three things are WARM WATER,SUNLIGHT,CLEAR and SHALLOW WATERS. Corals will also not grow in waters lower than 68 DEGREES FARENHEIT (20 DEGREE CELSIUS ).. The warm nad shallow water is needed because it contain ZOOXANTHELLAE that transfers food energy to the corals.

Source:http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215471/coral_reef.htm

Zooxanthellae is any of various symbiotic yellow-green or yellow–brown algae in the cytoplasm of certain radiolarians and marine invertebrates.

Source:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ZOOXANTHELLAE.

Did You Know :]

Friday, August 22, 2008

Coral's current of biodiversity is FIVE million years ago ? ,Corals have been on Planet Earth for almost FOUR HUNDRED years ago ? , The Longest Coral Barrier Reef is found in the cost of AUSTRALIA . The Second Longest Coral Barrier Reef is found in BELIZE ! The Third is as long as from NORTH KEY LARGO to DRY TORTUGAS in the Florida Keys.

If you think you know about corals very well than do out quiz! :] .

Source: http://www.reefrelief.org/RAW/tips/fact1.shtml

Did You Know...

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Did you know that although the fire coral is called a coral, it isn't really one. Fire corals are marine organisms that is often identified as a coral to majority. They are, in actual fact, more closely related to jellyfishes and stinging anemones. They are members of the phylum cnidaria, class hydrozoa, order cantata, family of the milleporidae. Fire corals have a bright yellow-green and brown skeletal outing and are widely found in tropical waters and subtropical waters. they appear in small bush-like groups on rocks and corals. Divers often mistake fire corals for seaweed accidental contact is common. The tiny nematocysts on fire corals tentacles that protrude numorous surface pores which similar to jellyfish stings. Also, fire corals have sharp, clacified external skeleton that can scrape the skin.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_coral)

Did you know...

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Did you know that singapores also have coral reefs?

Coral Reefs In Singapore
There were once over 60 offshore islands and patch reefs around Singapore, most of which were situated south of mainland Singapore. However, since the mid 1970s, major land reclamation was carried out on the mainland as well as the offshore southern islands. Most of the southern islands were reclaimed, adding 1695 ha to Singapore's total land area. Some islands were merged as a result. The reef flats of many islands e.g. Pulau Sudong, Pulau Hantu and Kusu Island were reclaimed right up to the reef slope. Many of the coral reef organisms were smothered by the reclamation, while others were severely affected by the resulting increase in water turbidity. Since 1986, most coral reefs in Singapore have lost up to 65% of their live coral cover

(source: http://coralreef.nus.edu.sg/)

Damaged amazing, beautiful corals

Monday, August 4, 2008

Amazing, Beautiful Corals

Did You Know..

Australia's great barrier reef is over 2,000 miles long and that happen to be the largest living stuctures on Earth and they have lived for over 100 MILLION years! Without reefs, many shoreline commuinities would have been underwater by now! On average, every square metre of reefs protects $47,000 from storm damage and erosion.

(source: http://www.hotfact.com/facts-about-coral-reefs.html )

Did You Know..

Did you know that coral reefs take up less than 1% of the ocean floor, yet 25% of the marine life lives on the reefs. A reef can be tiny and yet inhabit 3,000 species. Imagine man taking away a huge reef, what would happen to the poor marine creatures?

(source :http://www.hotfact.com/facts-about-coral-reefs.html)

Did you know,.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

How coral reefs are formed.

They group together and attach themselves to rocks.Then they slowly build a home called the coral reef. As more corals are born,they attach on to on top of other corals and other corals and the reef grows larger.

(Adapted from the book : Amazing Sea Creatures.)

___________________________________

Here's a poem about corals.
_____________________

THE CORAL CUTTER
Coral propagation is a real delight
Sometimes it keeps me up half the night
I used to think they were so fragile
But now they seem to be much more agile
Slice 'em and dice 'em Drop 'em on the floor
The really good ones can even take more
A run to the grocery store while they sit on the table
Put them back in the tank and they still seem stable
Don't tell the tree huggers just what I do
My methods and follies they really might rue
Making coral cuttings doesn't seem much like a chore
Or at least it's one that I wouldn't deplore

(Source:http://www.athiel.com/lib7/poet.htm)

One of the greatest threats to coral reefs is human expansion and development. As development continues to alter the landscape, the amount of freshwater runoff increases. This runoff may carry large amounts of sediment from land-clearing areas, high levels of nutrients from agricultural areas or septic systems, as well as many pollutants such as petroleum products or insecticides. Whether it is direct sedimentation onto the reef or an increase in the turbidity of the water due to eutrophication, decreases in the amounts of light reaching corals may cause bleaching. In addition, increases in the amounts of nutrients enhance the growth of other reef organisms such as sponges which may outcompete the corals for space on crowded reefs.

(source: http://www.uvi.edu/coral.reefer/threats.htm)

Scientists say that we have already lost 20 percent of the world’s coral reefs, and they predict that another 24 percent may be lost in the next 30 years if human impacts are not reduced. The Pacific Ocean contains most of the world’s reefs. Coral reefs were previously thought to be doing well here, but coral coverage has dropped 22 percent in the past 20 years.

(source:http://www.iyor-hawaii.org/reef-facts/#3)

Did You Know

Did You Know that corals are calssfied as animals even it does not have a beating heart!Moreover,coral reefs take up less than 1% of the ocean floor but yet 25% of marine life lives on reefs.Over the years,reefs get larger and larger.The largest reef known to the world is Australia's Great Barrier Reef.It streaches over a length of 1900km!

(source:http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:1GsGis3Bye4J:www.justscienceprojects.com/blog/2007/09/10/fun-facts-about-coral-reefs/+fun+facts+about+coral+reefs&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=sg)

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Coral reefs are in crisis, dying at an alarming rate worldwide.
An estimated 25% of coral reefs have already disappeared and an estimated two-thirds of all coral reefs are at risk today.1
An estimated 88% of the reefs in Southeast Asia - the most species rich reefs on earth - are at risk.1
Since 1975, more than 90% of the reefs in the Florida Keys have lost their living coral cover (study by Dr. Phil Dustan).
Threats to the world's coral reefs include:
Pollution
Disease
Over-fishing
Dynamite and cyanide fishing
Sedimentation
Bleaching caused by rising ocean temperatures
Called the "rainforests of the sea," coral reefs are the greatest expression of ocean life, and the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth with 30 of 34 known animal phyla present.
Unlike the rainforest, there is no comprehensive global baseline map of living coral reefs. This is urgently needed. A satellite mission dedicated to remote sensing of coral reefs can provide this critical global baseline.

(source: http://www.pcrf.org/reeffacts.html)

Corals that have been damaged due to global warming.

Facts on corals

MORE ABOUT CORALS

corals are divided into two kinds and both are stationary on the ocean bottom. hard corals such as Brain, Star, Staghorn, Elkhorn and Pillar corals have ridged exo-skeletons, or corallite, that protect their soft, delicate bodies. Gorgonians, or soft corals, such as Sea Fans, Sea Whips and Sea Rods sway with the current as they do not have exo-skeletons.

WHY IS THE CORAL REEF IMPORTANT

coral reefs deseve protection for their intrinsic natural value. In addition, the economic, tourism, fishing and recreational resources of tropical areas around the world depend upon healthy coral reefs ecosystem. Barrier coral reefs protects shorelines from erosion and storm damage

(source: http://www.reefrelief.org/coral_reef_body.shtml)

More on coral reefs

WHAT IS A CORAL REEF

Coral reefs are t5he most biologically diverse marine eco-systems on Earth, rivaled only b the rainforests on land. Corals grow over geologic time and have been an existance for al least 200 million years. Corals reached the current level of diversity about 50 million years ago.
The delicately balanced marine enviroment of the coral reefs relies on the interaction of hard and soft corals, sponges. anemones, snails, rays, crabs, lobsters, turtles, dolphins and other sea life.

WHAT IS A CORAL REEF MADE OF

A coral reef is composed of thin plates or layers of calcium carbonate secreted over thousands of years by billions of tiny, soft bodied animals called coral polyps. It takes years for corals to grow an inch and they range in size from a pinhead to a foot in lenght. Each polyp excretes a calcerous exo-skeleton and lives in a symbiotic with a host algae, zooxanthellae, that gives the corals its colour. zooxanthellae takes in carbon dioxide, process is through photosynthesis, and then gives off oxygen as a by-product that is used by the host polyp. Millions of polyps grow on top of the limestone remains of former colonies to create massive reefs. Yet these tiny animals form the only the natural formation visible from outer space.

(source: http://www.reefrelief.org/coral_reef_body.shtml )

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Threats Coral Reefs Are Facing

Pollution is one of the threats coral reefs are facing . As Corals need clean water to survive(Eg.Litter,Waste Oil) .Due to global warming ,the sea levels have risen up to 9,000 feet and that the ocean is adsorbing more than 80% of the heat added to the climate system. Warmer temperatures cause the water to expand and in turn push up global sea levels.Crown of Thorns of StarFish is a voracious preydator,populations of coral reefs have been decreasing because of these preydators as shrimps ,worms and some species of reef fishes feed on the larvae or small adults of the Corwn of Throns StarFish. (Source:http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:sf2vDhV5Q68J:marinelife.about.com/od/conservation/tp/6-Threats-to-Coral-Reefs.htm+threats+coral+reefs+are+facing&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=sg)

Importance Of Coral Reefs

There are many reasons why coral reefs are important. Firstly, they provide shelter and protection to many different species of fishes. Secondly, they control the amount of carbon dioxide in the water. Thirdly, they protect the coast from strong current and waves by slowing them down. These reefs which protects the coasts are also known as barrier reefs. Without these reefs, the coastlines would be flooded and the amount of carbon dioxide will rise drastically and would affect not only the marine animals but all of living things on Earth.

(Source : http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:QgoWtMORuDcJ:oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral4.htm+importance+of+coral+reefs.&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=sg)

Appearing as solitary forms in the fossil record more than 400 million years ago, corals are extremely ancient animals that evolved into modern reef-building forms over the last 25 million years. Coral reefs are unique (e.g. Great Barrer Reef) and complex systems. Rivaling old growth forests in longevity of their ecological communities, well-developed reefs reflect thousands of years of history .(Source:www.wikipedia.com)

(Source Of Picture:http://www.coral-reefs.org/assets/images/coral.jpg)