Reference
- CORAL REEFSCoral reefs, which are a dominant feature of tropical shore lines, have been referred to as the ‘rainforests of the sea’ and like rainforests, they are extremely diverse, being home to an enormous variety of animals and plants. Although they are generally found in areas of low marine productivity, reefs themselves are highly productive. The high productivity is due to the reefs' efficient cycling and reuse of nutrients, which are in short supply in the surrounding oceanic waters.
The primary production of coral reefs is between 30 and 250 times as great as that of the open ocean, and coral reefs may produce 1500-5000 grammes of carbon per square metre (44-146 ounces per square yard) per year.
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Perspectives
Indo-Pacific coral reef field guide
An excellent introduction to over 1800 marine plants, invertebrates, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals of the Central and Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.
Coral Reef Fishes
Expanded and updated to include an additional 44 species, this is a handy guide to those fishes that are likely to be observed by anybody visiting or diving on the coral reefs of the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific to a depth of sixty meters. Accessible to amateur marine life enthusiasts, this book is the first comprehensive guide of its kind. It enables the reader to quickly identify 2,118 species of fish and includes over 2,500 color illustrations depicting the major forms of each species--male, female, immature, or geographical varieties. The text proceeds according to region, depicting each species and its varieties, and offering information on its geographic range and where on the coral reef itself the fish may be found. Important identification characteristics are highlighted on every color plate.
At Home in a Coral Reef
Beautiful coral reefs are teeming with life that's not found anywhere else on the planet. This diverse and fascinating biome is home to thousands of fish, octopi, sea slugs, and sharks. Readers learn about these creatures and many more in this science-rich title that uses age-appropriate language and fun fact boxes to discuss adaptation and survival, ecosystem balance, interdependency, and other important life science concepts. Readers will understand the role this biome plays in ocean creatures' survival, including what happens when coral reefs come under threat from human intervention. A simple map and colorful photographs transport readers to the gorgeous world of coral reefs, where there's always something new to learn.
Coral
Most people know that coral reefs are beautiful, but how much do we really know about the architects of these amazing, rich habitats? Students will take a close look at the anatomy of coral, how more coral are born, and how these creatures make impressive reef structures and beautiful habitats for underwater life.
Geological Approaches to Coral Reef Ecology
This book provides a unique perspective on the destruction - both natural and human-caused - of coral reef ecosystems. Reconstructing the ecological history of coral reefs, the authors evaluate whether recent dramatic changes are novel events or part of a long-term trend or cycle. The text combines principles of geophysics, paleontology, and marine sciences with real-time observation, examining the interacting causes of change: hurricane damage, predators, disease, rising sea-level, nutrient loading, global warming and ocean acidification. Predictions about the future of coral reefs inspire strategies for restoration and management of ecosystems. Useful for students and professionals in ecology and marine biology, including environmental managers.
Indonesian Coral Reef
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Indonesia has the highest coral diversity on the planet. Parrot fish bite pieces of rock and coral looking for algae, and when they are digested, they turn into the white sand on the beaches of Papua New Guinea. Garden eels keep their bodies buried almost all of the time, feed on organic matter, and can hide in a second.
Great Barrier Reef: Reef And Beyond
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowThe Great Barrier Reef is vitally linked to the rest of the planet in many ways. Creatures travel for thousands of miles to visit in spectacular numbers, including tiger sharks, great whales, sea birds and the largest green turtle gathering on earth. Alien creatures that are rarely seen, like nautilus, also rise out of the deep to visit the reef's warm waters. Weather systems travelling from across the Pacific also affect the whole reef, including mighty cyclones that bring destruction and chaos to the coral and the creatures that live on it. And it is weather patterns and climate change on a global scale that are likely to shape the future of the Great Barrier Reef and all its wildlife.
Coral Reefs
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowLearn how coral reefs are formed, their value, and the three things that are causing reefs to die.
Online Resources
- Bright spots among the world’s coral reefsOngoing declines in the structure and function of the world’s coral reefs require novel approaches to sustain these ecosystems and the millions of people who depend on them3. A presently unexplored approach that draws on theory and practice in human health and rural development is to systematically identify and learn from the ‘outliers’—places where ecosystems are substantially better (‘bright spots’) or worse (‘dark spots’) than expected, given the environmental conditions and socioeconomic drivers they are exposed to. Here we compile data from more than 2,500 reefs worldwide and develop a Bayesian hierarchical model to generate expectations of how standing stocks of reef fish biomass are related to 18 socioeconomic drivers and environmental conditions. We identify 15 bright spots and 35 dark spots among our global survey of coral reefs, defined as sites that have biomass levels more than two standard deviations from expectations. Importantly, bright spots are not simply comprised of remote areas with low fishing pressure; they include localities where human populations and use of ecosystem resources is high, potentially providing insights into how communities have successfully confronted strong drivers of change. Conversely, dark spots are not necessarily the sites with the lowest absolute biomass and even include some remote, uninhabited locations often considered near pristine6. We surveyed local experts about social, institutional, and environmental conditions at these sites to reveal that bright spots are characterized by strong sociocultural institutions such as customary taboos and marine tenure, high levels of local engagement in management, high dependence on marine resources, and beneficial environmental conditions such as deep-water refuges. Alternatively, dark spots are characterized by intensive capture and storage technology and a recent history of environmental shocks. Our results suggest that investments in strengthening fisheries governance, particularly aspects such as participation and property rights, could facilitate innovative conservation actions that help communities defy expectations of global reef degradation.
- The importance of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystemsThe importance of structural complexity in coral reefs has come to the fore with the global degradation of reef condition; however, the limited scale and replication of many studies have restricted our understanding of the role of complexity in the ecosystem. We qualitatively and quantitatively (where sufficient standardised data were available) assess the literature regarding the role of structural complexity in coral reef ecosystems. A rapidly increasing number of publications have studied the role of complexity in reef ecosystems over the past four decades, with a concomitant increase in the diversity of methods used to quantify structure.
Great Barrier Reef
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new windowThe world's largest coral reef ecosystem stretches 2,300 kilometers along Australia's coastline and covers 350,000 square kilometers. This film will examine living and non-living aspects.