1. Coral Reef By: Omar El Mousa

2. Location and picture • Serc.carleton.edu Cutandweird.com

3. About the coral reefs. • There are three types of coral reefs: there are barrier reefs, fringing reefs and atolls. Some Reefs like the Great Barrier Reef are viewable from an aircraft. • www.buzzle.com • En.Wikipedia.Org • 6/2/11

4. Animals and how they adapt to live in the coral reef. • In one of the Coral reefs called the great barrier reef the animals that live there are: 1500 species of marine fish, a variety of marine mammals and 125 species of sharks and much more. • Most animals in Reefs have adapted to live together and other adapted to eat specific foods. For example the butterfly fish have small pointed mouths adapted to eat the tiny polyps that make up corals. A lot of predators patrol the reefs to look for prey. Prey has developed a variety of defense adaption's. E.g. retreating to safe hiding spots. Some animals have an excellent location sense. Others who don’t have that use poisonous toxin. • 6/2/11 • Animals.about.com • www.ehow.com

5. Plants and how they adapted to live in the coral reef. • Some plants that live in Reefs are marine algae, sea grasses, mangroves and even seaweed. • Plants have adapted to survive on coral reefs by sustaining relationships. For example the algae had adapted to survive by living in the polyps of the coral. Sea grass has adapted to live behind the coral. • 6/2/11 • www.coral-reef-info.com • www.ehow.com

6. Human effects on the Reefs • Human population had grown and the earth is warming. One reason the reefs are being destroyed is because of overfishing. Another way fishermen are destroying the reefs is by pouring cyanide (poison) into the Reefs that stuns the fish and kills the coral. • 6/2/11 • http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/

7. Why is this being done. • They are affecting the reefs because of recreational purposes. E.G. boating, snorkeling ETC. and fishermen don’t care about the organisms and just carelessly fish. Humans also damage reefs through discharges such as sewage and other industrial activities. • 6/2/11 • http://www.ehow.com/

8. What is being done • Many reefs are now being listed as marine protection areas. As well as several countries are limiting the amount of fishing that can take place around coral reefs. You could also adopt a reef through some environmental protection organizations. • 6/2/11 • http://curiosity.discovery.com/

9. My opinion • I think this is wrong what the humans are doing. I think this because if humans continue to do this there will be no more sea creatures and lots of Reefs will dry out and we would interrupt the food chain and we would end up dead. • 6/2/11

10. Climate and conditions • Coral Reefs are a home to over 25% of marine life. But are being harmed by man and nature. Coral reefs are the most fragile ecosystem. They are the most sensitive ecosystems. Since the industrial revolution, the acid activity increased in the oceans by 30%. They believe the only real hope for Corals is a reduction of green gas emissions. • www.bbc.co.uk • 7/2/11