1. BENEFITS FUNCTIONS THREATS SOLUTIONS
THE CORAL REEFS
BENEFITS
FUNCTIONS
THREATS
SOLUTIONS

2. WHAT ARE CORALS? CORAL IS AN INVERTEBRATE
There are two groups of corals
Hermatypes- hard corals
Ahermatypes- soft corals
HERMATYPES
AHERMATYPES
HARD
SOFT ( A FEW HARD ONES)
CONTAINS ZOOXANTHELLAE
THESE DO NOT CONTAIN ZOOXANTHELLAE
Teacher will remind students that an invertebrate is an animal without a backbone
Hermatypes are the ones that build reefs

3. How are the reefs formed?
The term coral is used to describe the skeletal remains of these animals, particularly those of the hard corals which form the limestone base that becomes the foundations of the reefs.

4. THE GREAT BARRIER REEF DID YOU KNOW?
The great Barrier Reef is the largest structure built by living organisms on earth and is the only living structure visible from outer space.

5. The body of a coral animal is called a polyp.
THE CORAL BODY
A Hollow sac-like structure that appears smaller than a pencil eraser
The body of a coral animal is called a polyp.
At its free end is a mouth surrounded by tentacles
Inside the body is a stomach
The tentacles contain a stinging structure called nematocysts that enables the polyp to gather food by paralyzing its prey.

6. The Coral Body
Polyps of the hard corals extract calcium carbonate from the sea water and use it to build a hard external limestone skeleton beneath and around their base .
This skeleton secures the fragile polyp to a surface and serves as its protection.

7. Food Source Zooxanthellae Planktons Phytoplanktons Zooplanktons
60 % of the planktons on the reefs are eaten by the coral polyps.
Most corals feed only at nights.
Some coral are herbivores and some are carnivores
Planktons are creatures that , both plants and animals , that move passively through the water . tHey are too small to be seen with the naked eyes

8. Reproduction and Growth
Sexually
Asexually
Coral polyps reproduce both sexually and asexually
Sexual reproduction occurs when the corals spawn.
They release eggs and Sperms into the water.
The sperm then fertilizes the eggs forming a new creature called a planula.
Asexual reproduction occurs by budding. The parent polyp clones itself by dividing to from a new polyp which remains attached to the parent poly tissue.
A coral colony then develops by the constant adding of the new buds.
Asexually means they reproduce by themselves
Reproduction and Growth

9. BENEFITS They are living organisms.
They benefit both man and the environment
They are living organisms.
They are beautiful and enrich the life of the ocean.
They provide food and shelter to thousands of species of plants and animals.
They exchange energy and nutrients
with other marine ecosystem.
Habitat for marine life: fish turtles, octopus, bivalves, sea cucumbers, spiny shrimp, urchins etc.

10. Benefits to the environment
Picture to the right shows the island of Bermuda surrounded by coral reefs.
They break waves.
Protect the shorelines from erosion.
Help to keep beaches and coastal communities intact.
Coral Reefs around Bermuda

11. More Benefits Supplies finfish and shellfish upon which the national
economy depends
They provide food
They provide jobs
They provide recreation and entertainment
Provide ornamentals-jobs and income for tropical fish
gathers
They support tourism- snorkel, diving, boating fishing.
Health- Recent discoveries for treatment for cancer, AIDS, infection, arthritis, asthma, herpes, and even broken bones
Provide Jobs through fishing and tourism

12. More Benefits
The calcium carbonate from the skeleton of the corals of coral animals is used to produce lime which is added to cement and mortar to help it set more quickly.
The sand on the beach also benefit from coral reefs as it is formed by the breakdown of dead corals and algae.

13. Threats Corals are highly sensitive to environmental conditions
They grow best in shallow water
Water must be clear between 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
The need normal oceanic salinity
They are being threatened globally by natural and man-made disasters.

14. Threats Global warming and the greenhouse effects. Sea level changes
NATURAL
HUMANS
Global warming and the greenhouse effects.
Coral bleaching
Sea level changes
Hurricanes
Cyclones
Abnormal weather patterns
Fluctuations in seawater temperatures
Human impact is catastrophic
Over harvesting of fish
Use of cyanide and dynamite
Nutrients and pesticides draining into the reefs from agriculture
Boat anchors carelessly being dropped unto the reefs
Deposits of raw sewage
Green house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides are accumulating in the atmosphere.
These gases trap the heat from the sun causing and is causing the Earth’s atmosphere to become abnormally warm.
The gases also increase from huma activities
Threats

15. Threats Heavy rains that dilute salinity Extreme low tides Diseases
NATURAL
HUMANS
Heavy rains that dilute salinity
Extreme low tides
Diseases
Predator population explosion, e.g. Crown- of thorns- sea stars.
Tourists and locals stepping on the corals
Coral mining for construction materials
Sedimentation from deforestation
Road construction
Oil pollution from shipping
Threats

16. DAMAGED REEFS IDENTIFY THE CAUSES

17. Solutions Education and Action Reef preservation What You can do:
Learn about reef preservation
Volunteer to help protect your reefs
Be informed about policy making

18. Solutions
Avoid purchasing products from coral reefs or their inhabitants
Be a responsible Eco-tourist
Support reef conservations
Be responsible when you dive and snorkel
Be a responsible boater and fisherman

19. Preserve to Conserve

20. What are you going to do ?