2. CORAL REEFS BY JOSIE KENT

3. WHAT ARE CORAL REEFS? Coral reefs are rocky mounds and/or ridges formed in the sea by living things through the collection and deposit of limestone Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters.

4. WHY ARE CORAL REEFS IMPORTANT? They contain the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They protect coastlines from the damaging effects of waves and tropical storms. They provide habitats and shelter for many marine creatures, plants and bacteria.

5. WHAT LIVES IN A REEF? A Coral Reef is home to: Sea turtles, crabs, shrimps Many species of fish including sharks, groupers, clown fish, eels, parrotfish, snapper, and scorpion fish and jellyfish Although many people mistake corals and anemones as plants, they are actually animals!

6. HOW ARE CORAL REEFS FORMED? Coral reefs are built by millions of a tiny sea creature called coral polyps. A colony of polyps makes up a coral. Each polyp forms a hard base of limestone around its body. The bases, or “skeletons,” are connected and stay attached to the sea floor even after the polyps die. Younger ones make new skeletons on the old skeletons. Masses of these work very slowly to form the ocean’s coral reefs. The reefs we see today are likely to be the results of centuries of work. Polyps

7. GREAT BARIER REEF The Great Barrier Reef situated off the coast of Australia is the world's largest coral reef. It is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 KM.

8. WHAT CAN IT BE USED FOR? Coral reefs are also important to the development of new medicine. Coral reefs also produce a natural sunscreen, which is now being sold in the United States. Coral is also being used in medical trials as a substitute for human bones!

9. DIAGRAMS OF CORAL REEFS

10. DIVERS GROWING A REEF This is an image of some divers trying to place a coral reef for a scientific experiment. They have some different sea creatures and are planting them on the sea bed in the hope that they will grow in to a coral reef.

11. CORAL REEF MAPS These maps show where different coral reefs are in the world.

12. FINDING NEMO Don’t forget Nemo our friendly and kind fish friend and all his friends and family! They live on and around a coral reef.

13. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING I HOPE YOU ENJOYED MY PRESENTATION!!!!!!!! Hopefully you have learnt why coral reefs are very important to humans, our environment and the ocean. If you want to learn more about coral reefs, you can look on the internet! I hope I answered some of your questions in my presentation!