Coral Reef Formations

Coral Organisms
Corals are made up of individual polyps
Polyps form colonies
Hermatypic corals build reefs
Polyps secrete a calcium carbonate
skeleton

Zooxanthellae

Coral Organisms
Cnidarians
Nematocysts

Photosynthesis

Fixed carbon

Branching versus Boulder Corals

Reef formation

Fringing Reef
BarrierLargest
Reef
biological
Patch Reef
constructions
on
earth!
Apron Reef
Bank Reef
Ribbon Reef
Atoll Reef
Table Reef

Reef formation

Fringing Reef
-a reef that is directly attached to a shore or
borders it with an intervening shallow channel or
lagoon.

Barrier Reef
- a reef separated from a mainland or island
shore by a deep lagoon

Patch Reef
- an isolated, often circular reef, usually within a lagoon or embayment.

Apron Reef
- a short reef resembling a fringing reef, but more sloped; extending out
and downward from a point or peninsular shore.

Bank Reef
- a linear or semi-circular shaped-outline, larger than a patch reef.

Ribbon Reef
- a long, narrow, somewhat winding reef, usually associated with an
atoll lagoon.

Atoll Reef
- a more or less circular or continuous barrier reef extending all the way
around a lagoon without a central island.

Table Reef
-an isolated reef, approaching an atoll type, but without a lagoon.

Island Reef Formation

Reef Zonation

Reef morphology

Spur and Groove formation

Coral Ecosystems
Oligotrophic systems
Low nutrients lead to symbioses

Important nurseries
Highest
biodiversity of any
ocean ecosystem!!!
Protection from predation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d3qie3jbHk

Threats to Corals
Bleaching

Predictions for temperature

increases are between 2 and
11.5o F!!!
Stressed corals expel zooxanthellae

Corals already live at their thermal maximum

Threats to Corals
Sea Level Rise
Light attenuates with depth
Predictions
for sea level rise
are between 7 and 23
inches!!!

Threats to Corals
Overgrowth by macroalgae
Increased nutrients
Overfishing of herbivorous fish
Dieoff of sea urchins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbN161yBBGA

Phase shifts

Coral dominated
reef

-persistent change in two

or more variables
describing a state of
something

Algal
overgrowth

Algal
dominance

Branching versus Boulder Corals

Threats to Corals
Hurricanes
Branching Corals
Shallow-water corals

Sea Level Rise

Why would corals be good indicators of past sea level
rise and fall?