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Assignement n2
Coral reefs
Introduction :
Coral reefs represent one of the most amazing diversity of species on Earth. The coral itself show an impressive variety, but more than that, it's an important habitat for many diverse species, forming an incredible ecosystem, full of life, in different zone of the Globe. But because this amount of species is so diverse, and induce complex exchanges, coral reefs are all the more likely to suffer from change in their physical parameters. Thus, we know that today, the major disruptive actor that affect coral reefs is Global Warming and therefore we must protect them, knowing that they represent more than 25% of the marine biodiversity. This is why we are going to sea how coral reefs are formed, and where, how Global Warming affect them and how the human can preserve these rainforests of the sea from the extinction.
lagoon. But instead of being close to the shoreline, barrier reefs can be spaced from hundred of meters to it, providing an important an deep lagoon. It is admitted that barrier reef are derived from fringing reef but have extended much longer Finally Atolls are circular reefs formed around a sunk volcanic island. In fact Atolls were before Barrier reefs and again before Fringing reefs. An increase of the sea level or a subsidence of the island formed a circle of corals around the lagoon. Atolls needs much more time to get totally formed, sometimes up to 30 millions years. During the formation, the reef get settled by other organisms, small species first : algae, mollusc... which themselves attracts other species, more important in size : fishes. Then, after a while, other species can appear in proximity of the reef, depending on where it is, like shark, turtle... All this species begin then to exchange, living in symbiosis, forming a particular ecosystem on diverse zone of the globe.
Conclusion :
Coral reefs are incredible oasis of life. But because of men's activities, its future is widely uncertain. We must, by fair means, find a way to protect coral reefs, otherwise in a couple of decade, or even less, no living coral reefs will remain, marking the largest mass extinction of species in the history of mankind.
Referencing :
Wikipedia, Coral reef page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef US Environmental Protection Agency, Coral Reef Article , undated http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/coral_index.cfm NOAA Education Service, Coral lectures, May 2008 http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral04_reefs.html United Nations Environment Program, Similarities between warm and cold water reef, 2002 http://www.unep.org/cold_water_reefs/comparison.htm Center for Climate and Energy Solution, Coral Reef and Global Climate Change article, February 2004 http://www.c2es.org/docUploads/Coral_Reefs.pdf Global Warming Effects on Earth by Abhijit Naik, undated http://www.buzzle.com/articles/global-warming-effects-on-earth.html#Effects-on-CoralReefs The Daily Green, How to save the World's Coral reefs ?,8/28/2008 http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/oceans-acidification-47082802 Western Indian Ocean Marine Science, Rehabilitation of coral reef study, undated http://wiomsa.org/mpatoolkit/Themesheets/H6_Coral_reef_rehabilitation.pdf http://www.coral-reef-info.com/types-of-coral-reefs.html http://www.coralreefinfo.com/coralreefs/coralreeftypes.htm