Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity

A coral reef is a type of biotic reef that develops in tropical waters by reef-building, or hermatypic, corals. Coral reefs are formed of large amounts of calcium carbonate (limestone) that is deposited by corals and other organisms. Coral reefs come in a variety of forms, and provide a habitat for an amazing variety of organisms. Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology. The building blocks of coral reefs are the skeletons of generations of reef-building hard corals, which are composed of calcium carbonate. As each ...

Including:

• Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology
• Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations
• Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs
• Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity
• Coral reef - Threats to Reefs
• Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs
• Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia - Coral reef

Coral reefs support an extraordinary amount of biodiversity, although located in nutrient-poor tropical waters. The process of nutrient recycling between corals, zooxanthellae, and other reef organisms provides an explanation for why coral reefs flourish in these waters: recycling ensures that fewer nutrients are needed overall to support the community. Cyanobacteria also provide soluble nitrates for the coral reef through the process of nitrogen fixation. Corals absorb nutrients, including inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, directly from th ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Land development and pollution, Coral reef - Live reef fish trade, Coral reef - Coral bleaching, Coral reef - Destruction worldwide, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Marine Protected Areas

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity

Coral reefs support an extraordinary ammount of biodiversity, despite often being located in nutrient-poor tropical waters. The process of nutrient recycling between corals, zooxanthellae, and other reef organisms helps provide an explanation for why coral reefs can survive in these waters, since recycling ensures that fewer nutrients are needed overall to support the community. Cyanobacteria also provide nutrients for the coral reef through nitrogen fixation. Corals also absorb nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, directly from the water, and they also eat zoo ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity

Humans continue to represent the single greatest threat to coral reefs. In particular, land-based pollution and over-fishing are the most serious threats to these ecosystems. Physical destruction of reefs due to boat and shipping traffic is also a problem. The live food fish trade has been implicated as a driver of decline due to the use of cyanide and other chemicals in the capture of small fishes. Finally, above normal water temperatures, due to climate phenomena such as El Niño and global warming, can cause coral bleaching. According to ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Land development and pollution, Coral reef - Live reef fish trade, Coral reef - Coral bleaching, Coral reef - Destruction worldwide, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Marine Protected Areas

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Threats to Reefs

Humans continue to represent the single biggest threat to coral reefs. In particular, land-based pollution and over-fishing are the most serious threats to these ecosystems. Physical destruction of reefs due to boat and shipping traffic is also a problem. The live food fish trade has also been implicated as a driver of decline due to the use of cyanide in the capture of fish. Finally, high water temperatures, due to weather phenomena such as El Nino or global warming, can cause coral bleaching. According to The Nature Conservancy organization, if destruction increases at the current rate, 70% of the world’s coral ree ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Threats to Reefs

The coral reefs of the Indonesian islands are the most diverse in the world as well as one of the most difficult natural phenomenons to restore. In 1991 Indonesian and Philippine governments made a move to decentralize the capacities of enforcement authorities with regards to coastal management. This led to a lack of national support and funding and a great challenge for smaller sectors in facing the destruction of Southeast Asian coral reefs (Courtney 42). Though in 2002, 18% of the regions reefs were officially destroyed and 85% were calle ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Land development and pollution, Coral reef - Live reef fish trade, Coral reef - Coral bleaching, Coral reef - Destruction worldwide, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Marine Protected Areas

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs

Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284,300 square kilometers, with the Indo-Pacific region (including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific) accounting for 91.9 percent of the total. Southeast Asia accounts for 32.3 percent of that figure, while the Pacific including Australia accounts for 40.8 percent. Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs only account for 7.6 percent of the world total (Spalding et al., 2001). Coral reefs are either restricted or absent from along the west coast of the Americas, as well as the west ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Land development and pollution, Coral reef - Live reef fish trade, Coral reef - Coral bleaching, Coral reef - Destruction worldwide, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Marine Protected Areas

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs

Various efforts are being made to grow coral reefs and coral, a difficult task; they are fragile, react to small changes in their biological environment. Coral reefs are being grown using a process called "mineral accretion". Applying a low voltage to a metallic structure causes limestone to build on the metal, upon which baby coral can attach, settle and feed. This greatly speeds the coral reef growth process. The voltage is low enough that it can easily generated by floating solar panels or from the waves. A coalition of scientists ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284,300 square kilometers, with the Indo-Pacific region (including the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific) accounting for 91.9 percent of the total. Southeast Asia accounts for 32.3 percent of that figure, while the Pacific including Australia accounts for 40.8 percent. Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs only account for 7.6 percent of the world's total (Spalding et al 2001, p. 17). Coral reefs are either restricted or absent from the west coast of the Americas, as well as the west ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs

The coral reefs of the Indonesian islands are the most diverse in the world as well as one of the most difficult natural phenomenons to restore. In 1991 Indonesian and Philippine governments made a move to decentralize the capacities of enforcement authorities with regards to coastal management. This led to a lack of national support and funding and a great challenge for smaller sectors in facing the destruction of Southeast Asian coral reefs (Courtney 42). Though in 2002, 18% of the regions reefs were officially destroyed and 85% were calle ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs

The building blocks of coral reefs are the skeletons of generations of reef-building hard corals, which are composed of calcium carbonate. As each coral polyp dies, it leaves behind its skeletal structure, upon which the next generation of polyps grow, enlarging the reef. Grazing fish (such as parrotfish), sea urchins, sponges and other organisms break down the coral skeletons into fine fragments, which settle into spaces in the re ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Artificial Reefs

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology

The building blocks of coral reefs are the skeletons of generations of reef-building algae, corals, and other organisms that are composed of calcium carbonate. For example, as a coral head grows, it lays down a skeletal structure encasing each new polyp. Waves, grazing fishes (such as parrotfish), sea urchins, sponges, and other forces and organisms break down the coral skeletons into fragments that settle into spaces in the reef structure. Many other organisms living in the reef community contribute their skeletal calcium carbonate in the s ...

See also:

Coral reef, Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology, Coral reef - Coral Reef Formations, Coral reef - World-wide distribution of reefs, Coral reef - Ecology and biodiversity, Coral reef - Threats to Reefs, Coral reef - Land development and pollution, Coral reef - Live reef fish trade, Coral reef - Coral bleaching, Coral reef - Destruction worldwide, Coral reef - Protection and restoration of reefs, Coral reef - Marine Protected Areas

Read more here: » Coral reef: Encyclopedia II - Coral reef - Coral Reef Biology