1 / 38

Exploring Coral Reef Zones: Biodiversity and Marine Life

Dive into the diverse world of coral reefs through different zones like Reef Flat, Algal Ridge, and Terrace. Discover the habitats, creatures, and unique features of each zone.

wnancy
Download Presentation

Exploring Coral Reef Zones: Biodiversity and Marine Life

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ocean HabitatsChapter 12

  2. Animals of the Benthos • 98% of marine species are benthic • Hydrothermal vents • Rocky shore • Coral reefs

  3. Coral Reefs of the World(Figure 12-16)

  4. Coral Reefs: Tops in Marine Biodiversity

  5. Coral Reef Morphology(Figure 12-17)

  6. Coral Reef Zone Tourcurrents, wave surge, sunlight, water depth 1 - Beach 2 - Reef Flat 3 - Algal Ridge 4 - Sub-Terrace 5 - Terrace 6 - Reef Slope 7 - Drop-off

  7. Beach Zone:sands derived from erosion of reef limestoneBoxer crab doesn’t eat anemones but uses them as weapons

  8. Coral Reef Zone Tourcurrents, wave surge, sunlight, water depth 1 - Beach 2 - Reef Flat 3 - Algal Ridge 4 - Sub-Terrace 5 - Terrace 6 - Reef Slope 7 - Drop-off

  9. Reef Flat:RIGOROUS environmentwave action, intense UV radiation, high salinities, warm temps corals are hermatypic (depend on zooxanthellae algae that live in coral poly tissues)

  10. Coral & Zooxanthellae(Figure 12-14)

  11. Reef Flat:Sharks & mantas frequent visitors

  12. Coral Reef Zones currents, wave surge, sunlight, water depth 1 - Beach 2 - Reef Flat 3 - Algal Ridge 4 - Sub-Terrace 5 - Terrace 6 - Reef Slope 7 - Drop-off

  13. Algal Ridge:

  14. Coral Reef Zones currents, wave surge, sunlight, water depth 1 - Beach 2 - Reef Flat 3 - Algal Ridge 4 - Sub-Terrace 5 - Terrace 6 - Reef Slope 7 - Drop-off

  15. Submarine Terrace

  16. Submarine Terrace:Increasing coral cover attract fishesthat prefer rich coral growthBasslett fish (haremic, capable of sex reversal)

  17. Coral Reef Zones currents, wave surge, sunlight, water depth 1 - Beach 2 - Reef Flat 3 - Algal Ridge 4 - Sub-Terrace 5 - Terrace 6 - Reef Slope 7 - Drop-off

  18. Terrace

  19. Coral Reef Zones currents, wave surge, sunlight, water depth 1 - Beach 2 - Reef Flat 3 - Algal Ridge 4 - Sub-Terrace 5 - Terrace 6 - Reef Slope 7 - Drop-off

  20. Slope

  21. Coral Reef Zones 1 - Beach 2 - Reef Flat 3 - Algal Ridge 4 - Sub-Terrace 5 - Terrace 6 - Reef Slope 7 - Drop-off lowest light levels, few sunlight-dependent coralssome feed on zooplankton and can descend as low as 1000 m

  22. Drop Off:Soft corals are non-reef building (no zooxanthellae), no limestone skeleton, secrete toxins to discourage competitors

  23. Deepsea Coralslive off of the dead www.divediscover.whoi.edu Desmophyllum cristagalli

  24. National Marine Sanctuaries Map courtesy of NOAA National Marine Sanctuary System

  25. The World Ocean Floor

  26. Maps courtesy of National Park of American Samoa

  27. Artwork by Jayne Doucette, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

  28. By OrSt grad student Emily Larkin

  29. FBNMS: Some Major Issues • Natural & human impacts • Crown-of-thorns invasion, hurricanes, bleaching • Illegal fishing, sewage outfall Photos courtesy of NOAA National Marine Sanctuary System

  30. FBNMS: Some Major Issues • Prior to 2001… • Sanctuary largely unexplored below depths of ~30-60 m • no comprehensive documentation of the plants, animals, and submarine topography. • Little is known of tropical “twilight zone” • shelf-edge (50-120 m deep) of coral reef habitats throughout the world

  31. Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, 2001 bathy

  32. SCUBA / Rebreather Technology Images courtesy of Kip Evans, Nat. Geographic and Rich Pyle, Bishop Museum

  33. Rebreather Dive Mission, FBNMS, 2001

  34. BPI Zone and Structure Classification Flowchart Emily Lundblad, OrSt M.S. Thesis

  35. Emily Lundblad, OrSt M.S. Thesis

  36. Extra Credit #5 - Finding Nemo • 5 copies will be on reserve by this weekend at Valley Library or rent it from a video store • 1-page reaction paper, typed, SINGLE-spaced • Discuss what in the movie is related to the class • Currents? Habitats? Fisheries? Conservation? • Due by 5:00 Friday, May 27th • Hand in to your TA please !!! • Worth up to 20 pts. on final exam

More Related