and they are launching Young Marine Biologist Award 2008 to garner support from all schools to commemorate this meaningful year.
Friday, August 29, 2008 @ IYOR 2008
The purpose of IYOR 2008 is actually to raise awareness about the importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability and to motivate people to take action to protect them. Underwater world Singapore is a key member of the IYOR 2008 Singapore working committee
and they are launching Young Marine Biologist Award 2008 to garner support from all schools to commemorate this meaningful year.
and they are launching Young Marine Biologist Award 2008 to garner support from all schools to commemorate this meaningful year.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 @ How important are the coral reefs?
Coral reefs are important for many reasons. Most importantly, they provide protection aCoral reefs are important for many reasons. Most importantly, they provide protection and shelter for many different species of fish. Without coral reefs, these fish are left homeless with nowhere to live and no where to have their babies.Not only do these fish increase the diversity of our world, but also reef fish and mollusks feed between 30 and 40 million people every year. They also make beautiful pets and the money made by catching and selling these animals provides many people with an income so that they can feed their families.And coral are very important in controlling how much carbon dioxide is in the ocean water. You read earlier about how the coral polyp turns carbon dioxide in the water into a limestone shell. Without coral, the amount of carbon dioxide in the water would rise dramatically and that would affect all living things on Earth.In addition, coral reefs are very important because they protect coasts from strong currents and waves by slowing down the water before it gets to the shore. That is why they are called barrier reefs. They provide a barrier between the ocean and the shore.nd shelter for many different species of fish. Without coral reefs, these fish are left homeless with nowhere to live and no where to have their babies.
Not only do these fish increase the diversity of our world, but also reef fish and mollusks feed between 30 and 40 million people every year. They also make beautiful pets and the money made by catching and selling these animals provides many people with an income so that they can feed their families.
And coral are very important in controlling how much carbon dioxide is in the ocean water. You read earlier about how the coral polyp turns carbon dioxide in the water into a limestone shell. Without coral, the amount of carbon dioxide in the water would rise dramatically and that would affect all living things on Earth.
In addition, coral reefs are very important because they protect coasts from strong currents and waves by slowing down the water before it gets to the shore. That is why they are called barrier reefs. They provide a barrier between the ocean and the shore.
Not only do these fish increase the diversity of our world, but also reef fish and mollusks feed between 30 and 40 million people every year. They also make beautiful pets and the money made by catching and selling these animals provides many people with an income so that they can feed their families.
And coral are very important in controlling how much carbon dioxide is in the ocean water. You read earlier about how the coral polyp turns carbon dioxide in the water into a limestone shell. Without coral, the amount of carbon dioxide in the water would rise dramatically and that would affect all living things on Earth.
In addition, coral reefs are very important because they protect coasts from strong currents and waves by slowing down the water before it gets to the shore. That is why they are called barrier reefs. They provide a barrier between the ocean and the shore.
@ More on coral reefs. Part 2
CORAL REEFS: THE RAINFORESTS of the SEA
Coral reefs start out small and grow about half an inch a year, but if undisturbed by man they can grow to be quite large. The Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Australia is 150 km (93.2 mi) wide and 2000 km (1,242 mi) long! The tan parts of the reef are the shells of dead coral polyps and the colorful parts are the living parts of the reef.
Reefs grow best in sunny, shallow, clear water. The water must be clear and shallow so that the reef can get lots of sunlight. They rarely grow deeper than 40m and they prefer salt water, doing poorly in areas where there is a lot of river runoff due to the freshwater as well as the silt which can cover a reef or muddy the water blocking the sunlight. The best temperature for coral reefs is between 25 and 31û C and the best salinity is between 34 and 37 parts per 1000. The appropriate temperatures and salinities are most often found in the tropics.
Reefs grow best in sunny, shallow, clear water. The water must be clear and shallow so that the reef can get lots of sunlight. They rarely grow deeper than 40m and they prefer salt water, doing poorly in areas where there is a lot of river runoff due to the freshwater as well as the silt which can cover a reef or muddy the water blocking the sunlight. The best temperature for coral reefs is between 25 and 31û C and the best salinity is between 34 and 37 parts per 1000. The appropriate temperatures and salinities are most often found in the tropics.
There are three kinds of coral reef--the
Fringing reefs grow in shallow water along the shore and prefer arid climates with limited river runoff. Fringing reefs are platforms that are continuous with the shore. That means they grow right up to the edge of the shore, like in the picture above.
Barrier reefs are separated from the shore by a wide, deep lagoon. They grow only when there has been a change of sea level on the adjacent coast. This occurs when a fringing reef grows upwards so that it can stay near the surface of the water. Coral reefs like to grow just below the waterline so that they have the best access to the sunlight. It is best if a reef grows at the same rate as the rise of the water. Barrier reefs also grow where the land is sinking faster than the water. The number of barrier reefs has increased dramatically as the greenhouse effect has warmed up our atmosphere causing the water levels to rise.
Atolls are reefs surrounding a lagoon. They are created when an island surrounded by barrier reefs sinks below the ocean surface, leaving a circular reef, called an atoll. Atolls are also created when water levels rise to cover an island and the surrounding reef grows to keep up with the surface of the water.
An atoll in the pacific ocean.
Coral reefs start out small and grow about half an inch a year, but if undisturbed by man they can grow to be quite large. The Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Australia is 150 km (93.2 mi) wide and 2000 km (1,242 mi) long! The tan parts of the reef are the shells of dead coral polyps and the colorful parts are the living parts of the reef.
Reefs grow best in sunny, shallow, clear water. The water must be clear and shallow so that the reef can get lots of sunlight. They rarely grow deeper than 40m and they prefer salt water, doing poorly in areas where there is a lot of river runoff due to the freshwater as well as the silt which can cover a reef or muddy the water blocking the sunlight. The best temperature for coral reefs is between 25 and 31û C and the best salinity is between 34 and 37 parts per 1000. The appropriate temperatures and salinities are most often found in the tropics.
Reefs grow best in sunny, shallow, clear water. The water must be clear and shallow so that the reef can get lots of sunlight. They rarely grow deeper than 40m and they prefer salt water, doing poorly in areas where there is a lot of river runoff due to the freshwater as well as the silt which can cover a reef or muddy the water blocking the sunlight. The best temperature for coral reefs is between 25 and 31û C and the best salinity is between 34 and 37 parts per 1000. The appropriate temperatures and salinities are most often found in the tropics.
There are three kinds of coral reef--the
Fringing reefs grow in shallow water along the shore and prefer arid climates with limited river runoff. Fringing reefs are platforms that are continuous with the shore. That means they grow right up to the edge of the shore, like in the picture above.
Barrier reefs are separated from the shore by a wide, deep lagoon. They grow only when there has been a change of sea level on the adjacent coast. This occurs when a fringing reef grows upwards so that it can stay near the surface of the water. Coral reefs like to grow just below the waterline so that they have the best access to the sunlight. It is best if a reef grows at the same rate as the rise of the water. Barrier reefs also grow where the land is sinking faster than the water. The number of barrier reefs has increased dramatically as the greenhouse effect has warmed up our atmosphere causing the water levels to rise.
Atolls are reefs surrounding a lagoon. They are created when an island surrounded by barrier reefs sinks below the ocean surface, leaving a circular reef, called an atoll. Atolls are also created when water levels rise to cover an island and the surrounding reef grows to keep up with the surface of the water.
An atoll in the pacific ocean.
@ More on coral reefs.
CORAL: ANIMAL, MINERAL or VEGETABLE?
What is coral? When you see pictures in National Geographic of huge rock like things in the ocean with fish swimming all around, is that coral? Well, sort of. That is a coral reef.
Coral is an animal that belongs to the phylum cnidaria. A phylum is a group that scientists place animals in which share certain characteristics. Cnidarians are radially symmetric, which means that they are the same all the way around, 360 degrees! They are built like sacs with a hole in one end that is surrounded by stinging tentacles. Jellyfish are cnidaria. Now, you are probably thinking, jellyfish don't look anything like what I thought coral was! That's because the most common pictures of coral are colonies called reefs.
During the mating season coral polyp release eggs and sperm into the water (picture below) and when an egg and a sperm meet they form a larva known as a planula.
The baby coral looks like a little tiny jellyfish and it floats around in the water until it finds a hard place to attach to, usually a coral reef. Then it lands and starts to build itself a shell. It builds it by combining carbon dioxide (CO2) and calcium (Ca) in the water to make calcium carbonate (CaCO3) also known as limestone. This shell is shaped like a round vase and the coral polyp lives inside.Coral polyps are primarily nocturnal. At night a coral polyp will stick its tentacles out of its vase and let the tentacles wave in the current. Then, when plankton float by, the coral polyp stings them with its tentacles and brings the plankton inside its shell to have for lunch.A coral reef is about a million of these individual coral polyp shells all stuck one on top of the other. When coral polyps die, new ones land and grow right on top of the old empty shells. There are over 500 different species of coral. Some look like brains and some like fans and some like the antlers of deer, but they are all made up of tiny coral polyps.
Organisms other than coral can form reefs. A reef is simply a structure in the shallow parts of the ocean that serves as a home to animals and plants. Many sunken ships have become reefs and humans even create artificial reefs to replace the coral reefs that we have destroyed. Some artificial reefs are specially constructed for the purpose, but others are made of tires linked together, old appliances linked together and even discarded military equipment like tanks and helicopters.
What is coral? When you see pictures in National Geographic of huge rock like things in the ocean with fish swimming all around, is that coral? Well, sort of. That is a coral reef.
Coral is an animal that belongs to the phylum cnidaria. A phylum is a group that scientists place animals in which share certain characteristics. Cnidarians are radially symmetric, which means that they are the same all the way around, 360 degrees! They are built like sacs with a hole in one end that is surrounded by stinging tentacles. Jellyfish are cnidaria. Now, you are probably thinking, jellyfish don't look anything like what I thought coral was! That's because the most common pictures of coral are colonies called reefs.
During the mating season coral polyp release eggs and sperm into the water (picture below) and when an egg and a sperm meet they form a larva known as a planula.
The baby coral looks like a little tiny jellyfish and it floats around in the water until it finds a hard place to attach to, usually a coral reef. Then it lands and starts to build itself a shell. It builds it by combining carbon dioxide (CO2) and calcium (Ca) in the water to make calcium carbonate (CaCO3) also known as limestone. This shell is shaped like a round vase and the coral polyp lives inside.Coral polyps are primarily nocturnal. At night a coral polyp will stick its tentacles out of its vase and let the tentacles wave in the current. Then, when plankton float by, the coral polyp stings them with its tentacles and brings the plankton inside its shell to have for lunch.A coral reef is about a million of these individual coral polyp shells all stuck one on top of the other. When coral polyps die, new ones land and grow right on top of the old empty shells. There are over 500 different species of coral. Some look like brains and some like fans and some like the antlers of deer, but they are all made up of tiny coral polyps.
Organisms other than coral can form reefs. A reef is simply a structure in the shallow parts of the ocean that serves as a home to animals and plants. Many sunken ships have become reefs and humans even create artificial reefs to replace the coral reefs that we have destroyed. Some artificial reefs are specially constructed for the purpose, but others are made of tires linked together, old appliances linked together and even discarded military equipment like tanks and helicopters.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 @ Pictures!!!
Monday, August 25, 2008 @ Games, games! All about coral reefs!
Here are some games you can play that is related to coral reefs!
www.coralfilm.com/fun.html
Do have fun playing them!!!
Good luck!!!
www.coralfilm.com/fun.html
Do have fun playing them!!!
Good luck!!!
@ Threats the coral reefs are facing.
The threats the coral reefs are facing are over-fishing, pollution, coastal development, bleaching, ocean acidification and sea level rise from global warming. Severe storms, earthquakes and even volcanic eruptions also disrupt the coral reefs!!! In this case, it will make the ocean dull and plain.
Saturday, August 23, 2008 @ Ways to save coral reefs.
speak to involved.
1. Always support reef-friendly businesses. Ask what your dive shop, boating store, tour operators, hotel,
and other coastal businesses are doing to save the coral reefs. This is especially important in
coastal areas with reefs. Let them know you are an informed consumer and care about reefs.
2. Do not use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers. Although you may live thousands of
miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products end up in the watershed and may ultimately
impact the waters that support corals.
miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products end up in the watershed and may ultimately
impact the waters that support corals.
3. Always volunteer for a reef cleanup. What if you do not live near a coral reef?Then do what many people do
with their vacations, visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the
world's treasures while helping to preserve it for future generations.
with their vacations, visit a coral reef. Spend an afternoon enjoying the beauty of one of the
world's treasures while helping to preserve it for future generations.
4. Learn more about coral reefs. How many different species of corals live in reefs? What new medicines
have been discovered in reef organisms. Always participate in training or educational programs that focus
on reef ecology. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the
fragility and value of the world's coral reefs.
have been discovered in reef organisms. Always participate in training or educational programs that focus
on reef ecology. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the
fragility and value of the world's coral reefs.
5. Become a member of your local aquarium or zoo. Ask what they are doing and what your
donation can do towards saving the world's coral reefs.
donation can do towards saving the world's coral reefs.
6. When you visit a coral reef, help keep it healthy by respecting all local guidelines,
recommendations, regulations, and customs. Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to
protect the reef.
recommendations, regulations, and customs. Ask local authorities or your dive shop how to
protect the reef.
7. Support conservation organisations. Many of them have coral reef programs.
8. Spread the word. Remember your own excitement at learning how important the planet's coral
reefs are to us. Sharing this excitement gets everyone you
reefs are to us. Sharing this excitement gets everyone you
9. Be an informed consumer. Consider carefully the coral objects that you buy for your coffee
table. Ask the store owner or manager from what country the coral is taken and whether or not
that country has a management plan to insure that the harvest was legal and sustainable over time.
table. Ask the store owner or manager from what country the coral is taken and whether or not
that country has a management plan to insure that the harvest was legal and sustainable over time.
10. Do not pollute. Never put garbage or human waste in the water. Do not leave trash on the beach.
11. Always recycle. This is the first step each of us can take to make a change. Recycle anything and
everything. If your community does not have a program, do it anyway, and get one started.
everything. If your community does not have a program, do it anyway, and get one started.
12. Conserve water. The less water you use, the less run off and waste water that will eventually finds
its way back into our oceans.
its way back into our oceans.
13. Report any dumping or other illegal activities. Environmental enforcement cannot be everywhere,
and your involvement can make a really big difference.
and your involvement can make a really big difference.
14. Keep it clean. You may be in the habit of picking up your own trash. You may even
participate in an organized cleanup but have you consider carrying away the trash that others
have left behind?
participate in an organized cleanup but have you consider carrying away the trash that others
have left behind?
15. Only buy marine aquarium fish if you know they have been collected in an ecologically sound
manner. In some areas, marine fish harvested for the pet trade are stunned with sodium cyanide so
that capturing them is easier.
manner. In some areas, marine fish harvested for the pet trade are stunned with sodium cyanide so
that capturing them is easier.
16. Surf the net! Many different addresses exist to link you to information about coral reefs and
that you can do to become involved.
that you can do to become involved.
17. Do not start a live rock aquarium. Although this living rock is still harvested legally in some
places, its collection is devastating to the reef organisms habitat.
places, its collection is devastating to the reef organisms habitat.
18. Hire local guides when visiting coral reef ecosystems. Not only do you learn about the local
resources, but you will be protecting the future of the reef by supporting a non-consumptive
economy around the reef.
resources, but you will be protecting the future of the reef by supporting a non-consumptive
economy around the reef.
19. Do not anchor on the reef. If you go boating near a coral reef, use mooring buoy systems when
they are available.
they are available.
20. If you dive, do not touch! Take only pictures and leave only bubbles! Keep your fins' gear and
hands away from the coral as this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral
animals. Stay off the bottom because stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it.
hands away from the coral as this contact can hurt you and will damage the delicate coral
animals. Stay off the bottom because stirred-up sediment can settle on coral and smother it.
21. Participate in the Great American Fish Count. What better way to enjoy your vacation time
than snorkeling or diving in America's coral reefs and helping scientists better understand reef fish
populations?
than snorkeling or diving in America's coral reefs and helping scientists better understand reef fish
populations?
22. Volunteer. Volunteer and community coral reef monitoring programs are very important. If
you do not live near a coast, get involved in your local save the river (bay, lake, or other estuarine
environment) program. Remember, all watersheds affect the oceans and eventually the coral reefs.
you do not live near a coast, get involved in your local save the river (bay, lake, or other estuarine
environment) program. Remember, all watersheds affect the oceans and eventually the coral reefs.
23. Support the creation and maintenance of marine parks and reserves. Encourage your friends
to get involved with projects to protect special areas.
to get involved with projects to protect special areas.
24. Be a wastewater crusader! Make sure that sewage from your boat, from others' boats, and
from land is correctly treated. The nutrients from sewage feed growing algae that can smother an
kill corals.
from land is correctly treated. The nutrients from sewage feed growing algae that can smother an
kill corals.
25. Inform yourself. Find out about existing and proposed laws, programs, and projects that could
affect the world's coral reefs.
affect the world's coral reefs.
@ Coral reef's introduction.
Coral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters. Corals are found both in temperate and tropical waters, shallow-water reefs are formed only in a zone extending at most from 30°N to 30°S of the equator. Tropical corals do not grow at depths of over 50 m (165 ft). Temperature has less of an effect on the distribution of tropical coral, but it is generally accepted that they do not exist in waters below 18 °C.However, deep water corals can exist at greater depths and colder temperatures. Although deep water corals also form reefs, very little is known about them.
