Marine Biome Investigation - Coral reefs

Question:
How has pollution affected the coral reefs? Has the ecosystem been affected in a negative
way?
The question is connected to the task because the unit is about how humans react to the
natural world, (coral reefs), Pollution can be caused naturally, but a big amount of pollution is
created by humans.
This question is important and interesting to me personally because I am intrigued by the
world. Coral reefs play an important role in the ocean, for coral reefs are a source of shelter,
food, reproduction, and about more than 7,00 species of fish are able to live in coral reefs.
Coral reefs have a lot of functions and roles that are quite important to humans and the
world.

Action plan:
What was your learning My goal during this investigation was to understand and learn about
goal? coral reefs and how pollution (specifically water pollution) has
negatively affected coral reefs. My goal was to learn how the
ecosystem was disturbed by water pollution.

What was your product My product goal during this investigation was to learn about the
goal? concept more. Before learning about my concept, I quite literally had no
knowledge about coral reefs and about how pollution affects coral
reefs. I wanted to learn about why what I am investigating even
matters, and why it is important to both humans and earth, and to learn
the effects as well. on how we can become more safer and eco friendly
human beings to the world. While doing research about how water
pollution is damaging coral reefs, I wanted to learn ways to stop this.

Did you have deadlines? When doing my data collection, I did have deadlines. Sometimes when
investigating and researching specific questions, I arrange myself
certain deadlines depending on the amount of time I thought I needed. I
had deadlines because I thought that by doing this, I would be
organised with the work and time. I was being proficient and wise with
my actions. Having deadlines, for me, was a good help and helped me
work properly.

Have you broken up Yes I have, but I have broken up hours more than days. What I do is, I
the days between now give myself a deadline. By giving myself a deadline, I know when I
should be done with a specific task of mine. Now, during the time that I
and the deadline to have to finish everything, I break my hours into parts and use some
make a plan? hours on research, different hours on knowing what I understand, and
give myself an amount of time to collect my data/information.

Have you included I added all the sources that I used to research and find information on. I
resources and sources have cited the sources as well. All the sources that I have used contain
a good amount of information, because I used multiple sources, and
of information needed? they all have a great connection between my investigation. Having
multiple sources was useful to me, because it made my research/data
more reliable and by having more information, I have a deeper
understanding as well.
 Have you written In my investigation, I have got research questions. In my data/research
potential research collection, I have 4 research questions. Though next time I could
indeed add more questions, I think the questions I have are quite
questions? decent. All 4 research questions are detailed, and in my opinion are not
specific. The questions give me a chance to do a good amount of
research, and the questions are clear and understandable. I have also
added follow up questions as a personal addition, for when I do answer
the question, and have written the data/information that I have
collected, I can add follow up questions for the future. These follow up
questions are questions for the future, so if I would continue this
investigation, I would still be able to research more.

Have you considered How I will measure my success is by looking how my investigation had
how you will measure turned out. In this whole investigation, I had done research about how
pollution (specifically water pollution) has affected coral reefs and the
your success? ecosystem itself, and with researching this, I also had deadlines and
arranged myself out. By seeing that I have used my time efficiently and
followed my deadlines, I can show how I have succeeded in the
investigation.

Data/research collection:

Date: Sources (cited) Key Idea/ Data/information collected Follow up When should
question questions for research should
future: be
finished/deadlines:
23/09/22 “How Does How does water Water pollution is a quite harmful What 23/09/22
Pollution Impact pollution affect matter to the ocean, for water specific
Corals?” coral reefs/what is pollution includes toxic chemicals, types of toxic
Floridakeys.noaa.g pollution doing to rubbish, bacteria and more. It is chemicals
ov, the coral reefs? known that about 75% of the are there in
floridakeys.noaa.go world's coral reefs are currently water
v/corals/pollution.ht threatened by local and global pollution?
ml#:~:text=When% pressures, which include pollution.
20sediment%20an In the Asia-Pacific region, which
d%20other%20poll also is home to over half the
utants. world's coral reefs, it is estimated
that over 11 billion plastic items
Joyce, Christopher. could be entangled in coral reefs.
“NPR Choice
Page.” Npr.org, 25
Jan. 2018,
www.npr.org/sectio
ns/thetwo-way/201
8/01/25/580227045
/plastic-pollution-is-
killing-coral-reefs-4
-year-study-finds.

“Coral Reef Risk

Outlook.” Science
on a Sphere,
sos.noaa.gov/catal
og/datasets/coral-r
eef-risk-outlook/.
23/09/22 NOAA. “Coral Reef Why are coral reefs Ecosystems in general are With detail, 23/09/22
Ecosystems | important to extremely important, to both why would
National Oceanic creatures who live humans and the earth. Without everything
and Atmospheric in coral reefs? ecosystems, everything would die if there
Administration.” quite quickly die. This means coral wasn’t an
Www.noaa.gov, 1 reefs are important. Fish, corals, ecosystem?
Feb. 2019, lobsters, clams, seahorses,
www.noaa.gov/edu sponges and sea turtles are only a
cation/resource-coll few examples of creatures that
ections/marine-life/ rely on coral reefs to survive. It is
coral-reef-ecosyste estimated that about 25% of the
ms#:~:text=Coral% ocean's fish depend on healthy
20reefs%20protect coral reefs, for fishes and other
%20coastlines%20 creatures use coral reefs to
from. shelter, find food, reproduce and
more.
“Coral Reefs:
Essential and
Threatened |
National Oceanic
and Atmospheric
Administration.”
Noaa.gov, 2016,
www.noaa.gov/expl
ainers/coral-reefs-e
ssential-and-threat
ened.

“Coral Reef
Ecosystems |
National Oceanic
and Atmospheric
Administration.”
Www.noaa.gov,
www.noaa.gov/edu
cation/resource-coll
ections/marine-life/
coral-reef-ecosyste
ms#:~:text=Becaus
e%20of%20the%2
0diversity%20of.

23/09/22 US. “Medicines What can we do to Even as individuals, we are all What other 24/09/22
from the Sea | help coral reefs? able to make small changes to the ways can we
Ocean Today.” world. There are lots of different do to help
Noaa.gov, 2019, ways to help and protect coral coral reefs?
oceantoday.noaa.g reefs. You can recycle, reduce
ov/medicinesfromth and reuse. By doing this, you are
esea/. being sustainable, you are buying
less rubbish, and the world is less
US EPA. “What polluted. If you are snorkelling,
You Can Do to diving or doing something similar
Help Protect Coral and you are close to coral reefs,
Reefs | US EPA.” you can avoid touching coral
US EPA, 26 Sept. reefs. Contact with the reef will
2018, damage the delicate coral
 www.epa.gov/coral animals, and anchoring on the
-reefs/what-you-ca reef can kill corals, which can
n-do-help-protect-c affect the whole ecosystem. Also,
oral-reefs. not buying coral jewellery or coral
home decor can also help.

26/09/22 US EPA. “Basic Why are coral reefs Having coral reefs is also What kind of 27/09/22
Information about important to important to humans as well. jobs can
Coral Reefs | US Humans? Having coral reefs provide jobs for coral reefs
EPA.” US EPA, 30 local communities. Coral reefs are provide?
Jan. 2017, also a source of food and new What types
www.epa.gov/coral medicines. Over half a billion of medicines
-reefs/basic-inform people depend on reefs for food, and foods do
ation-about-coral-r income, and protection. Fishing, coral reefs
eefs. diving, and snorkelling on and give us?
near reefs add hundreds of
millions of dollars to local
businesses.

Reflection:

1. Were you able to answer your original research question? If, so what did you find? If not, how did
you adjust?
I think I was able to answer my main question. By doing lots of research I was able to answer my
question, and learn more about it too. My goal was to have at least a basic understanding and answer
for my question, and in addition I got to learn new things about coral reefs, and have a depth of
understanding.
2. Did you meet your Learning Goal?
I think that I did in fact meet my learning goal. My learning goal during the investigation was to work
on time management. While collecting data/information, I wanted to manage my time better and
more wisely, for when I don't manage it properly, I can get nervous and stressed. So, I added deadlines,
and by doing this I achieved my learning goal.
3. Did you meet your Product Goal?
I think I did meet my product goal. My product goal during this investigation was to learn about my
concept more. In the beginning, I had very little knowledge about coral reefs and connections with
them, for I did not learn about them specifically. By researching about coral reefs, I, during this
investigation, have learnt new facts about coral reefs and the ecosystem, the affects coral reefs have
on the world and humans, and much more.I think that I met my product goal with a new understanding
and knowledge.
4. How does your project relate to the statement of inquiry?
My investigation/project massively relates to the statement of inquiry because the statement inquiry
because coral reefs have a large role in the ocean ecosystem. Lots of different living things depend on
coral reefs. If coral reefs became disturbed, then living things would also be disturbed, which can
affect the whole ecosystem.
5. What surprised you about the investigation?
Something that surprised me was something that I learnt. When I was researching, I learnt that 75% of
the world's coral reefs are currently threatened by local and global pressures, which do include
pollution. In the Asia-Pacific region, which also is home to over half the world's coral reefs, it is
estimated that over 11 billion plastic items could be entangled in coral reefs. When learning this, I felt
a little shocked and surprised too.
6. What do you feel like you did well on?
I think something I did well on was my data/information collection. I had used multiple different
sources, making my data/information collection descriptive and structured, as well as my information
is not basic. My data/information was also quite organised, for there are deadlines and the table is
arranged neatly, and able to read/is not confusing.
7. What/how would you improve your investigation and project?
I think next time, I could do deeper research and I could also collect more data/information. I think the
work that I have done is alright, but I could have definitely done some more digging and researching,
which could have taught me something new and given me more knowledge. But in general, I think the
work I have done for the investigation is okay.