Barrier Reef Research Paper

Barrier reefs and coral reefs play a very important role in our environment. The reefs protect our coastal regions. Many species of coral and fish call the reefs home. There are various reasons why barrier reefs and coral reefs play huge role in our environment; this reef provides Habitat, Income, Food, Protection, Medicine, and Tourism. Coral reefs need to be protected in order for them to continue to thrive Coral reefs are often called the rainforest of the sea. The coral reefs themselves are living organisms. There are about one thousand species that call the coral reefs home. This habitat provides a home to fish, corals and protects the shore line. Coral reefs provide millions
of jobs across the world which then turns into billions of dollars worldwide. Research scientists However, as important as coral reefs are both environmentally and economically, they are in danger. Pollution and coral bleaching are posing severe threats to coral reefs. The prospect of higher sea levels associated with climate change is also threat to coral reefs as corals need to be in shallow waters with a lot of sunlight to survive and corals cannot grow fast enough to keep up with predicted sea level rises. More than half of the world coral reef are threatened directly or indirectly by human activity in a situation that has led environmentalist increasing to promote public awareness of the economic value of the reefs and the ecosystem services they offer such as shoreline protection and well- stocked fisheries. According to my research. These natural requirements are sufficiently onerous that any longer-term departure from the conditions under which the corals evolved is liable to cause extra stress, reducing the capacity of the corals evolved is liable to cause extra stress, reducing the capacity of the corals to complete successfully and to thrive, or even to survive. There are lot of conditions necessary for the growth of coral reef. Corals require a hard surface (rock or dead coral) to attach to and they grow best in warm, clear, clean, well-lit and well- oxygenated sea water. Reef building corals can be found living from the surface of the sea down to about 60 m deep in clear water: However sufficient coral growth to build reefs is normally found only in through top 20 m or so where there is enough sunlight to make photosynthesis. As well as bringing sediments, rivers also bring various plants nutrients to coastal waters such as nitrates and phosphates and organic matter. Tropical oceanic water are natural very low in nutrients conditions. And coral do appear best in low conditions . The requirement o good oxygenation is satisified by vigorous mixing of the sea water by waves breaking on the reefs . The photosynthesis of algae and se grass also adds oxyen to the surface waters by day. Coral reef gives a lot of productivity .
the one of th reasons why coral reef gives intrest to the ecologist and environmentalist is because of the apparent pardox of such higly productive ecosystem , teemig with life being sustained in the realitivity barren enviorment of tropical ocean water . such as The production of chemical energy through photosy=ynthais from a measured area of reef in a measured time are generally at least an order of magnitude greater than in the surrounding 0cean water and rival the highest levels recorded for natural systems. To be sustained , however primary productions requires more than simply the raw materials of photosynthesis . sufficient nutrients plants also need to be present in the environment for the growth of the photosynthetic organisims. The primary productivity then fuels the consumption and lives of al the organism in the eco system . Athough tropic ocean waters are naturally very low for reasons alredy explained. As often in the case the way the coral reefs are productive are through in a complex way . The first distinction must be drawn between gross production that mean by the total amount of chemical energy produced within in a certain time and space.In order for an ecosystem to achieve surplus production , which is a net production needs to be greater than zero Agriculture sytem achieve considerable positive net production. Farmers can therefore deliver large crops to
market. Measurent of productive and respiration on coral reefs show a wide range of values between different zones of a reef and between different reeds. However, the existence of high gross production especially on the algal turfs of the shallow reefs flat has conformed, so the paradox remains. Which is a big question that they still don’t have the answer. The other fascinating thing about corla reefs are the way they are structured most sustainal coral reefs are colonial animls which means that each coral is made up of numerous more or less identitical polyps that have a degree of independence but are directly connected to each other by living tissue, and are all genetically identical, all polyps of the colony share resources are intergrated by a diffuse nervous network .
The body of a coral therefore consist of many polyps covering a skeleton that is usally attacked below to hard surface as a rock The tissue overlie the skeleton that is usally attached below to a hard surface such as rock . The tissue overlie the skeleton and take its shape when the polyps are contracted . In this state the living tissue forms a thiny slimmy fil over the skeleton, and the skeletal details can be seen through the tissues. To expand the polyps swell with water , extend their tentacles and rise above the skeleton , pbsucuring its features. The setailed structure of the skelto is dictated by the polyps, each one sitting within and upon its own skeleton, called a corallite. Each corallite has more or less pormous wall, within the space between the adjacent walls within the space filled by porous skeleton or coenosteum. Radiating from the central region of each coralite are numerous thin vertical plates called septa, usally .The septa varies in size the biggest Is called primary septa, the next biggest is secondaries, the third is tertiaries
and so on.
The septa can project beyond correlation the part oustside the walls called costea and the whole a costa . The free edges of the septa may be ornamented with garnules spnes or lobes when these form near the columell they are called paliform lobes or, if arising form fused septa, pali. When the tissues of the polyps are contracted they are pulled into the corallites folding between the upright septa. The depth to which the tissue go marks the bottom of the coralite , here there may be a thin plate separating the outer, living part of the coral skeleton form the old skeleton beneath. .