Coral Reefs - Geographical Features
There are two main geographical features in a coral reef:
- the ocean (think about: tides, waves, chemicals in the water, pollution)
- the coral (think about: different types/shapes of coral, different landforms made by piles of dead & living coral).
Oceanic Features
Different organisms live in different parts of a coral reef. The side nearest the sea is deep and dangerous because of the waves. Near the beach a reef is shallower and protected , so it is safer. The most important landform in a coral reef is a lagoon - the quiet water between a long hill of coral and the beach. You can see lagoons in the photographs - the dark blue area is the sea, the brown area is the reef and tjhe light blue area is the quiet lagoon. You can also see where waves have broken up the coral to make sand, which has formed a beach along the reef.
When you are describing the flora and fauna of a coral reef, try to find out what kind of water the flora or fauna live in - can the organism deal with dangerous tides and destructive waves?
When you are describing the flora and fauna of a coral reef, try to find out what kind of water the flora or fauna live in - can the organism deal with dangerous tides and destructive waves?
Coral Landforms
Coral Reefs make large mountains and valleys on the ocean floor, as well as caves for fish and other creatures to live in. Find out more about coral at:
- National Geographic [http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/coral/]
- Life on the Coral Reefs [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG9DaYAh9po]
Artificial Reefs
Sometimes humans try to create coral reefs by building structures for corals to live on. You can also see this happen when a very old shipwreck is turned into a coral reef. You can see coral starting to colonise the wreck in the photograph.
More information about artificial reefs can be found at:
More information about artificial reefs can be found at:
- Arujan reef in Kuwait [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQGhB9U0vE8].
- Central Coast Artifical Reef Project [http://www.ccarp.net/reefs.htm]
- Artificial Reefs [http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/saltwater/artificial-reefs]