Coral Reef Formations

Coral Organisms
•Corals are made up of individual polyps
•Polyps form colonies
•Hermatypic corals build reefs
•Polyps secrete a calcium carbonate
skeleton

Zooxanthellae
 Coral Organisms
•Cnidarians
•Nematocysts
Photosynthesis

Fixed carbon
Branching versus Boulder Corals
 Reef formation
• Fringing Reef
• BarrierLargest
Reef biological
• Patch Reef
• constructions
Apron Reef on earth!
• Bank Reef
• Ribbon Reef
• Atoll Reef
• Table Reef
Reef formation
Fringing Reef
-a reef that is directly attached to a shore or
borders it with an intervening shallow channel or
lagoon.
Barrier Reef
- a reef separated from a mainland or island
shore by a deep lagoon
Patch Reef
- an isolated, often circular reef, usually within a lagoon or embayment.
Apron Reef
- a short reef resembling a fringing reef, but more sloped; extending out
and downward from a point or peninsular shore.
Bank Reef
- a linear or semi-circular shaped-outline, larger than a patch reef.
Ribbon Reef
- a long, narrow, somewhat winding reef, usually associated with an
atoll lagoon.
Atoll Reef
- a more or less circular or continuous barrier reef extending all the way
around a lagoon without a central island.
Table Reef
-an isolated reef, approaching an atoll type, but without a lagoon.
Island Reef Formation
Reef Zonation
Reef morphology
Spur and Groove formation
 Coral Ecosystems
•Oligotrophic systems
•Low nutrients lead to symbioses

Highest biodiversity of any

•Important nurseries
•Protection from predation
ocean ecosystem!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d3qie3jbHk
Threats to Corals
•Bleaching
Predictions for temperature
•Stressed corals expel zooxanthellae
•Corals already live at their thermal maximum
increases are between 2 and
11.5o F!!!
Threats to Corals

•Sea Level Rise

•Light attenuates with depth
Predictions for sea level rise
are between 7 and 23
inches!!!
Threats to Corals
•Overgrowth by macroalgae
•Increased nutrients
•Overfishing of herbivorous fish
•Dieoff of sea urchins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbN161yBBGA
Phase shifts Coral dominated
reef

-persistent change in two

or more variables
Algal
describing a state of
overgrowth
something

Algal
dominance
Branching versus Boulder Corals
Threats to Corals
•Hurricanes
•Branching Corals
•Shallow-water corals
Sea Level Rise
•Why would corals be good indicators of past sea level
rise and fall?