1. Coral Reef KM C Z

2. Geographic Location • Coral reefs are found in warm water. • The reef temperature cannot drop anymore than 18 degrees. • Coral reefs are usually found off the coast of Florida, the Caribbean and Brazil. • The Coral reef is a part of the phylum Cnidaria.

3. Producers and Consumers

4. Reproduction • Corals reproduce sexually and asexually. • This occurs by fragments breaking off and starting their own colony. • Spawning is most successful when there is little variation between high and low tides. • This event of sexual reproduction is called synchronous.

5. Plants and Animals • There are many different variations of fish that make their way through the coral reef. • There are also many seasnakes that wander through the area. • Coral reefs are also home to many marine algae.

6. Abiotic factors • Temperature: Coral reefs thrive in water temperatures of 77-84 degrees F. • Nutrients: Corals survive only in clear water that does not have much sediment in it. • Light: Coral Reefs need algae to survive and algae needs light to carry on. • Depth: Corals live in shallow water and are usually found in a depth of 60 meters. Ahermatypic corals are much deeper

7. Resources • http://www.thewildclassroom.com/biomes/coralreef.htm • http://coralreef.noaa.gov/ • http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/coralreef.html