Coral Reefs

Class:  Anthozoa
Phylum: Cnidaria

​A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem consisting of  reef-building corals. Reefs are made up of  colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate.  Coral belongs to the same class as sea anemones and jellyfish.  Most reefs grow best in warm, shallow, clear, sunny and agitated water. 
KEY WORDS
ecosystem; coral polyp; colony; calcium carbonate; exoskeleton; coral bleaching; acidification; zooxanthellae; fringing reef; barrier reef; atoll; Great Barrier Reef; crustacean; crown of thorn starfish; echinoderm; eutrophication; nutrients; salinity; turbidity; symbiosis; biodiversity; ​
FOCUS QUESTIONS
  1. Where are coral reefs found?
  2. Where is the biggest coral reef in the world?
  3. Why are coral reefs so important?
  4. What are coral reefs made from?
  5. What kind of marine animals live in coral reefs?
  6. What are the main causes for the decline of coral reefs?
  7. What is coral bleaching and what causes it?
  8. What negative affects does sun screen have on coral reefs?
  9. What can we do to help protect coral reefs?
  10. What will happen to the marine ecosystem if coral reefs continue to decline?
Coral Reef Resources
Coral Reef Ecosystems - NOAA
Coral Reefs - National Geographic
Coral Reef - World Biomes
Great Barrier Reef
Corals and Coral Reefs - Smithsonian
Which rivers are polluting the Great Barrier Reef?
Great Barrier Reef - Reef Facts
Coral Reefs 101
Save the Reef - Earthwatch