Reefs have been called the “rainforests of the sea,” because they provide homes to numerous marine animals (Trinh, 2012). Coral reefs can be found in shallow oceans where sunlight can be shown onto the reefs. There are a variety of reefs in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and animals. They feed on small fish and planktonie animals by using their long tentacles to reach their prey. Reefs are classified into a group called cnidaria.
These algae provide them with an additional food source through photosynthesis. Coral reefs are formed by corals that secrete hard calcareous (aragonite) exoskeletons, giving them structural rigidity. These colonial "hard corals" form elaborate finger-shaped, branching, or moundshaped structures and can create masses of limestone that stretch for tens or even hundreds of miles. WHERE ARE THESE REEFS LOCATED Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284,300 square kilometers (109,800 sq mi),just under one tenth of one percent of the oceans' surface area. The Indo-Pacificregion (including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific) account for 91.9% of this total.
Certain coral reefs have progressed in order to survive outside this temperature range. The Great Barrier Reef is a type of coral reef called hermatypic corals meaning that they contain zooxanthellae algae and are colorful. This type of coral reef can live in water temperatures ranging from 64-91 degrees Fahrenheit (18-33 degrees Celsius). Nutrients are another abiotic component of coral reefs. Corals only survive in clear water where light can break the surface of the water.
Respiratory and Circulatory Systems of the Green Sea Turtle Respiratory and Circulatory Systems of the Green Sea Turtle The Green Sea Turtles ancestors first evolved on land and then later returned to the sea to live. The first turtles appeared about 245 million years ago. Turtles are one of the few remaining species who existed with the dinosaurs. The Green Sea turtle is a reptile and a member of the tribe Chelonini, the name does not refer to the outside color of the turtle but rather the color of the greenish fat found between its internal organs and its shell. The green color comes from the algae or grasses that they eat.
They are sometimes called undeclared, undeveloped, or undiscovered beaches. Wild beaches can be valued for their untouched beauty and preserved nature. They are most commonly found in less developed areas including, for example, parts of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Beaches typically occur in areas along the coast where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments. Beaches are the result of wave action by which waves or currents move sand or other loose sediments of which the beach is made as these particles are held in suspension.
Cyanobacteria are simple, single-celled photosynthetic prokaryotes. There are two ways in which these microbial communities form, the first being the most common in bays and ocean locations. The first method involves the growing filaments (cyanobacteria) trapping fine sediment with a sticky film of mucus that each cell produces, and then the sediment grains are binded together with calcium carbonate given off by the water. The second method is used in lakes and requires the cyanobacteria to precipitate their own carbonate framework and hardens as the filaments continue to grow upwards through the formation, towards the light. An environment in which Stromatolites would live and grow include: anaerobic, marine (lakes, bays, oceans), high salinity, low tide, warm temperature, poor water circulation or shallow water.
Distribution Although Olive Ridleys spend time in the open ocean, they also forage in coastal waters and estuaries.Olive Ridley turtles are found only in warmer waters, including the southern Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The Olive Ridley turtle has a
The Osmoregulatory Abilities of Two Intertidal Worms, Nereis virens and Phascolopsis gouldii Author’s Name: ___________________________________________________ Biology Department, Hendrix College, Conway, AR 72032 Nereis virens, clam worms, are common marine annelids, which are widespread in the intertidal zone of many beaches in New England. They are particularly abundant in the upper intertidal zone (Fig. 1), where specimens may be found under rocks and in beds of mussels and algae. Phascolopsis gouldii, peanut worms, are another common worm native to the New England coast. They can often be found buried in silty or muddy areas in the lower parts of the intertidal zone (Fig.
When Darwin was on the HMS Beagle it helped him make theories of natural selection and evolution. Sir Charles Wyville Thomson (1830-1882) was following the foot-steps of Darwin. Thomson’s boat was called the HMS Challenger. He used this boat to go all over the world in sea collecting marine specimen. The voyage that Thomson did it had birthed oceanography.
There are thousands of different species of plants and animals that use or live in the coral reefs. There are three types of coral reefs: fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Fringing reefs are located close to shore, separated from land by only shallow water. Barrier reefs lie farther offshore, separated from land by lagoons. Atolls, on the other hand, are formed far offshore and they make a ring-shaped reef that close a circular lagoon.