Essay about The Ecosystem of the Coral Reef - 530 Words

The Ecosystem of the Coral Reef Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive communities on Earth. They are found in the warm, clear, shallow waters of tropical oceans worldwide. Reefs have functions ranging from providing food and shelter to fish and invertebrates, to protecting the shore from erosion. Although many corals resemble plants, they are actually members of the animal phylum Cnidaria. Most corals are colonial, which means that each coral is made up of many individual polyps connected by living tissue (the coenosarc). Each polyp has a cup-like shape with a ring of tentacles around a central opening (pharynx) that functions as both mouth and anus. The tentacles are tipped with stinging cells called†¦show more content†¦The more famous coral forms huge deposits that take on the shape of small, underwater mountains of calcium carbonate. Corals are benthic organisms in the fact that they are stationary for the most part, and do not swim or drift in the ocean. All coral feed on plankton. Soft coral are filter feeders, filtering out plankton as the current passes through the porous structure of the coral. Hard coral have tiny critters located inside a limestone shell that rely on plankton that float by as their food source. Since they are very sensitive, coral require a very specific environment in order to survive. They are found generally in warm, shallow areas of the tropical oceans. Although they are best developed in temperatures from about twenty-three to twenty-five degrees Celsius, coral reefs can be found in temperatures as low as eighteen degrees Celsius. Corals are restricted to seawater with a salinity ranging from thirty to forty parts per thousand. They also require a concentrated amount of calcium carbonate to assist in the process of forming their skeleton. The shape, size and structure of the coral are directly related to their location in the ocean, and depth. Coral located near the surface tend to be flexible in order to flex and sway with the wave action and tidal currents. The water currents and wind can also play an important role in theShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Coral Reef Ecosystem On Coral Reefs Ecosystem Essay1022 Words   |  5 Pagesfinding by Casey et al. (201 6) and Jennings et al. (1995) regarding bottom up processes in coral reef ecosystem. Also show a profound contrast to widely accepted top-down processes in coral reef ecosystem, indicated by weak relationship on prey-predator interaction and strong positive relationship between hard coral cover and fish biomass. Despite there are more studies confirm cascading effect in coral reefs such as indirect effect on mesopredator and herbivore density( (Friedlandler and DeMartiniRead MoreCoral Reefs : The Ecosystem860 Words   |  4 PagesCoral reefs are an essential component to the ecosystems in Hawaii. 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