Coral Reefs (by alysoncrawford)

Coral Reefs

What organisms inhabit coral reefs? Many different organisms live in coral reefs. Some examples are: sponges, seaworms, shrimp, fish, sea stars, fungi, jellyfish, oysters, clams, sea urchins, and turtles. Many of these animals rely on the coral reefs for food, protection, and shelter.

Abiotic Factors The foundation of reefs are rocks. Rocks provide the proper anchorage for coral. Light, salinity, and water temperature are also vital abiotic factors of coral reefs.

Where are they found? In the vastness of all our oceans, coral reefs are mainly found near the tropics. Coral reefs must have warm water to grow and develop.

Climate Coral Reefs are underwater "forests" that must have sunlight to produce photosynthesis. They are made up of colonies of tiny living animals that contain few nutrients. Coral Reefs are home to 25% of marine life.

Examples of Interactions

Limiting Factors A limiting factor of coral reefs is space. Coral reefs are very populated and full of life so space is limited.

Consumers: eels, crabs, starfish and octopi.

Competition- Framework buliders and coralline algae. Predation- Schools of prey fish eat zooplankton. Mutualism- Hermatypic corals and their photosynthetic zooyanthellae. Commensalism- Barnacles that attach themselves to whales. Parasitism- Isopods attach to fish.

Producers: algae, sea plants, and plankton