The World's Coral Reefs

Name: _________________________________       Date: _____________

The world's coral reefs are called the "rainforests of the ocean" with good reason. They are home to an incredible biodiversity and play important roles in Earth's biosphere. But in recent decades, the reefs have declined as they've come under attack from a variety of threats. What is the role of the planet's coral reefs? What are the biggest threats they face? You'll find out in this activity.

1. To begin, visit EPA's What Are Coral Reefs? What does a coral community consist of?
   
   
   
   
2. Give a brief definition of each of these words:
   1. cnidaria
      
      
      
      
   2. sessile
      
      
      
      
   3. polyp
      
      
      
      
   4. substrate
      
      
      
      
   
   
3. Explain how a coral reef gets built up over a long period of time.
   
   
   
   
4. What role do the plant-like algae living inside the coral play?
   
   
   
   
5. Explain why coral reefs are found only in shallow water.
   
   
   
   
6. Describe each of the following:
   1. fringing reef
      
      
      
      
   2. barrier reef
      
      
      
      
   3. atoll
      
      
      
      
   
   
7. What other types of organisms find habitat on coral reefs?
   
   
   
   
8. Scroll to Why Are Coral Communities Important? Explain how coral reefs are indicators of water quality.
   
   
   
   
9. What other reasons are given for why coral reefs are important?
   
   
   
   
10. Scroll to What Problems Exist? What natural problems do reefs face?
    
    
    
    
11. Give four examples of how human activites put stress on coral reefs.
    
    
    
    
12. Global warming has become another huge problem for coral reefs. Read this Planet Diary report. What is coral bleaching?
    
    
    
    
13. What is the connection between coral bleaching and coral disease?
    
    
    
    
14. Describe the extent of the coral bleaching problem.
    
    
    
    
15. Finally, visit ReefVid to check out a cool collection of coral reef videos.