Coral Reefs

I took this photo from underneath a famous, abandoned oil rig in Mancora, Peru in December 2015, from around 20 meters below the surface (max depth 38 meters, which I achieved). It is a biodiversity hotspot for providing a lot of habitat, which makes it a tourism draw for divers. On the supports of the rig are varieties of molluscs, corals and sponges which makes this an artificial reef. While here, you have the opportuntity for swimming around with wild sea lions and many species of fish.

Aquatic biomes in the ocean are called marine biomes. Organisms that live in marine biomes must be adapted to the salt in the water. Marine biomes include the oceans, coral reefs, kelp forests and deep sea vents. Estuaries are also considered marine biomes because of the presence of saltwater.

Algae in marine biomes supply a large portion of the Earth’s oxygen, and also take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Oceans are the greatest reservoir of carbon dioxide. The oceans are the primary reservoir of water at the Earth’s surface, with ice caps and groundwater acting as much smaller reservoirs.

06b Coral Reef

Coral Reefs

Cover these notes/lecture about coral reefs. You will learn about some general coral and reef characteristics. The main focus of the lesson is on the threats reefs face. Pay special attention to the causes & effects of ocean warming and acidification. By the end of the lesson, you should be able to explain the causes and effects of natural & anthropogenic disruptions on coral reefs.