Life in the sea the coral reef

[...]... of reef life is due to the presence of one-celled algae living within the bodies of the tiny coral animals These microbes help the corals by providing food and assisting in the construction of limestone skeletons The coral skeletons themselves build structures that support some of the most diverse communities of life in the world The Coral Reef is one of six books in Facts On File’s Life in the Sea. .. role in developing nations and are part of the history of the sea and lands they border Carbon Dioxide Grabbers Coral reefs help keep the Earth’s biosphere, the part of the planet where living things are found, in balance One of the coral reef s important functions is in maintaining normal levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere At the point where the atmosphere meets the sea, carbon dioxide and other... grew into adults with hard skeletons As the corals grew and reproduced, they spread around the entire volcanic island, eventually creating a substantial fringing reef Meanwhile, the volcanic mountain began to sink gradually into the sea, taking part of the coral reef to deeper water As the reef continued to develop, it grew in the direction of the water’s surface and the sunlight At some point, the. .. separating the reef from the shore Because sediment washes from the land out to the sea, most fringing reefs have very little coral growing on the shore side However, the ocean side, which is not exposed to as much sediment, is home to large populations of live coral Fringing reefs are common in the Caribbean and around the Hawaiian Islands Like fringing reefs, barrier reefs run parallel to the shoreline,... occur in locations near the equator People are interested in coral reefs for a variety of reasons Many gain their living from these aquatic gardens, harvesting their bounty or marketing their beauty Some coastal communities are protected from the brunt of the ocean’s forces by the barrier provided by the reef s physical structure Leaders in E 1 2 T The oral Reef the fight against disease are exploring the. .. distributed, but in the western Atlantic Ocean they are confined to the Florida Keys, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico, and areas in the Caribbean Sea The number of different coral species that compose a reef is dependent on the ocean in which the reef is located The Indo-Pacific coral reefs are rich in species diversity, boasting more than 500 different coral species, while the Atlantic Ocean reefs are... extensions of the buttress zone jut from the reef out into the ocean The undulating shape of the buttress zone diverts water striking the reef into many direction By spreading the impact of the waves, the reef buttress helps the structure withstand their full power and impact Channels in the buttress drain debris and sediment out to sea With plenty of sunlight and oxygen present, huge reef- building coral and... as finely modified for reef life as the resident fish Sea turtles and sea snakes are reptiles that are quick and graceful swimmers Seabirds lay their eggs on the beaches of coral reef islands and Introduction find their prey in the nearby waters The other top predators in the reef ecosystems are humpback whales, minke whales, and spinner dolphins With plenty of prey to feed on and warm waters in which... protected by reefs Some of these areas, such as the coasts in Asia, support the densest populations of humans in the world Coral reefs also contribute to beach formation Natural forces break off pieces of the reef and grind them into grains of sand As wind and water strike the reef, they chip away at the skeletal structures of reef animals, eroding them into small pieces Predators also loosen reef material... as global warming Research indicates that some warming has already taken place in the air and in the ocean The effects of this warming include less snow cover each winter, a retreat of mountain glaciers, and changes in global weather patterns Experts fear that continued warming could damage the balance of life on Earth Some predict far-reaching results, including changes in climates, melting of glacial . growth in coral reefs is extremely high. Much of the success of reef life is due to the presence of one-celled algae living within the bodies of the tiny coral ani- mals. These microbes help the corals. continues to grow. Increasing interest in the sea environment and the singular organisms it conceals is swelling the ranks of marine aquarium hobbyists, scuba divers, and deep -sea fishermen. In. h0" alt="" The T oral Reef