Cnidaria

The corals that make reefs around the world may look like one giant organism but they’re actually some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, with many small features working together to support a variety of marine life. They are typically found in warm, shallow waters of tropical environments, especially in the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of jellyfish-like animals called polyps, connect together to form colonies. These colonies host algae, that provide corals with food, as well as their…

The Great Barrier Reef Introduction: The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. (1) It consists of a nexus of coral reefs, shoals and islets in near the Northeastern coast of Australia. It extends in a northwest-southeast direction for around 1,250 miles (2,000 km), at an offshore distance ranging from 10 to 100 miles (16 to 160 km) and has an area of 135,000 square miles (350,000 square km) allowing it to be the largest coral reef in the world. It is sometimes referred to as…

The Family Labridae is a massive family of fishes (trumped only by gobies). Some of these fishes, commonly known as wrasses, are amongst the perennial favorites in the marine aquarium industry. Chances are that if you remain involved with marine aquaria for any length of time, you will eventually come to own a wrasse. Here are the basics of this diverse and extraordinary family of fishes. Wrasses can be found throughout the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific in both temperate and tropical seas. Many…

Coral reefs and how chemical substances can affect these living organisms is what I decided to base my investigation on. We tend to have a genuine love for coral reefs whenever we view someone’s scuba diving photos. You see the fishes swimming around those coral reefs, but many do not know their purpose. However, it comes down to learning the importance of coral reefs and how to protect these species that are very much a part of our ocean. A coral reef is very important, coral reefs have many…

The marine mammal that I selected is the Hawaiian Monk Seal. It’s Hawaiian name is ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua or na mea hulu (NOAA, n.d.). Also, the scientific name of the Hawaiian monk seal is Monachus schauinslandi (The Marine Mammal Center, n.d.). The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered marine mammal. Due to the fact that it’s endangered, they are now protected by the Marine mammal protection Act, the Endangered species Act, and also protected by Hawaii’s state law (The Marine Mammal…

Biscayne National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southern Florida, south of Miami. The park preserves Biscayne Bay and its offshore barrier reefs. Ninety-five percent of the park is water, and the shore of the bay is the location of an extensive mangrove forest. The park covers 172,971 acres (69,999 ha) and includes Elliott Key, the park's largest island and first of the true Florida Keys, formed from fossilized coral reef. The islands farther north in the park are transitional islands…

Giant Barrel Sponges are very unique animals. They are found in tropical areas in the Caribbean. They are benthic animals, living at depths from 10-30 m. They have the highest density cover and greatest volume of any organism living in their environment. If they are left undisturbed they can grow to massive sizes. Giant Barrel Sponges can come in many different colors also. Sponges don't move around they are stationary and stay in one place there whole life. Except when the sponges reproduce…

The crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) , a large multiple-armed starfish that prays on hard coral polyps, can be found in and throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Some predators of these species are Giant Triton snail, the stars and stripes pufferfish, titan triggerfish and the humphead maori wrasse. 2.2 What causes COTS outbreaks: The cause of Cots outbreaks are not 100% certain but one of the most widely accepted hypothesis is that the outbreaks of COTS are caused and…

According to “Scitable”, over “1 billion people depend on food from coral reefs, and reefs as a whole might be worth around $172 billion for every year they continue to provide essential services to humans, like food.” Humans get these food sources from coral reefs through fishing. Another physical thing that we can get from coral reefs is medicine. Because coral reefs contain lots of good chemicals and fungi that can be turned into medicine, they are a great source for many diseases. Examples…

Why should anyone care about coral ecosystems? Not only do coral reefs provide humans with billions of dollars in environmental services such as tourism, food, but they are extremely beneficial to the economy. So what is a coral reef? According to the NOAA, a coral reef is a “A mound or ridge of living coral, coral skeletons, and calcium carbonate deposits from other organisms such as calcareous algae, mollusks, and protozoans.” (Noaa.gov) Many people don’t realize how important the health of…