CORAL REEFS

Coral reefs are ecosystems that are the most lively ecosystem on the earth. We can estimate its
expansion to be 0.1% of the entire ocean ecosystem. However, they provide habitat to about one-
quarter of organisms. When corals, along with other sea organisms, start living as a mass,
creating an ecosystem, it’s known as the coral reef ecosystem.
Coral is actually a living animal. Coral has a symbiotic relationship (each gives something to the
other and gets something back in return) with ‘zooxanthellae’ microscopic algae which live on
coral [i.e. instead of living on the sea floor, the algae lives up on the coral which is closer to the
ocean surface and so that the algae gets adequate light.
Zooxanthellae assist the coral in nutrient production through its photosynthetic activities. These
activities provide the coral with fixed carbon compounds for energy, enhance calcification, and
mediate elemental nutrient flux.
The tissues of corals themselves are actually not the beautiful colors of the coral reef but are
instead clear (white). The corals receive their coloration from the zooxanthellae living within
their tissues.
The host coral polyp in return provides its zooxanthellae with a protected environment to live
within and a steady supply of carbon dioxide for its photosynthetic processes.

There are two types of corals: hard corals and soft corals, such as sea fans and gorgonians.
Only hard corals build reefs.

The builders of coral reefs are tiny animals called polyps. As these polyps thrive, grow, then die,
they leave their limestone (calcium carbonate) skeletons behind. The limestone is colonized by
new polyps. Therefore, a coral reef is built up of layers of these skeletons covered ultimately by
living polyps.
The reef-building or hermatypic corals can form a wide range of shapes. Coral reefs may be
branched, table-like, or look like massive cups, boulders or knobs.
While the majority of coral reefs are found in tropical and sub-tropical water, there are also deep
water corals in colder regions.

Abiotic Factors
Some of the abiotic factors that are specific to coral reefs are oxygen, water, carbon dioxide,
sand, rocks, shells, temperature, light, hard substance, and waves.
Oxygen- is needed in this part of the biome because it is one of the main essentials for life.
Water- which is also required and that no organisms can’t survive without water.
Carbon dioxide- is taken by the underwater plants during photosynthesis.
Sand-is a loose rocky substance that is found on both land and water.
Rocks- A solid substance that is found on the bottom of both land and water.
Shells- A protective layer for many crustaceans
Temperature- The degree of heat in body or mass, that can be measured in multiple degrees.
Temperature is the most important limiting factor. Mainly because it is responsible for the
horizontal spatial distribution of coral reefs in the world and how coral needs to have a relatively
warm water temperature.
Light- A natural substance that increases sight and visibility. Light is another factor for coral
reefs because it is responsible for the vertical distribution meaning the depth. Also, since light is
needed for photosynthesis which limits corals to clear and shallow waters.
Hard substance- Any type of rock or stone that is found on the ocean floor and is also used for
coral to settle on and grow on.
Waves- They can cool down corals and also control the growth of the coral.
Salinity- The amount of salt that is in the water. Corals can occur in salinity range from 32 - 40
PSU, although coral reefs can thrive in both high or low salinity conditions.
Biotic Factors
Some of the biotic factors that are
specific to coral reefs are seaweed,
squid, crab, minerals from dead
organic substance, crustaceans, algae,
and coral.
Seagrass- A large plant that grows in
the sea below the high water mark.
Minerals from dead organic substance.
Mostly is sedimentary rock. This type
of rock is found from the dead remains
of animals.
Crustaceans- An arthropod family that consists of shrimps, lobster, and crab.
Algae- A large group of marine plants that lack stems, roots, or leaves.
Coral- A rock like substance that consists of the skeletons of dead animals, and it is found in
warm seas.

Characteristics
They occur in shallow tropical areas where the sea water is clean, clear and warm.
The coral reef cover in Indian waters is roughly estimated upto 19,000 sq. Km.
Coral reefs are one of the most productive and complex coastal ecosystems with high biological
diversity.
The high productivity is owing to the combination of its own primary production and support
from its surrounding habitat.
Reef building corals are a symbolic association of polyps (coral animals) and ‘zooxanthellae’
(the microscopic algae).
The corals are generally slow-
growing colonies of animals while
zooxanthellae are fast-growing
plants.
Even though corals live in nutrient
poor waters, their capability to
recycle the scarce nutrients (by the
whole nutrient community) is
enormous.
In coral reef ecosystem, many invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants live in close association to
the corals, with tight resource coupling and recycling, allowing coral reefs to have extremely
high productivity and biodiversity, such that they are referred to as ‘the Tropical Rainforests of
the Oceans’.

Classification and their location

The coral reefs are classified depending on their locations into fringing, patch, barrier and atoll.
The fringing reefs are contiguous with the shore and they are the most common – by occurring
reef form, found in Andamans.
Patch reefs are isolated and discontinuous patches, lying shoreward of offshore reef structures as
seen in the Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar and Gulf of Kachchh.
Barrier reefs are linear offshore reef structures that run parallel to coastlines and arise from
submerged shelf platforms. The water body between the reef and shore is termed as lagoon.
Barrier reefs are seen Nicobar and Lakshadweep and the best example is the Great Barrier Reef
of Australia.
Atolls are circular or semi-circular reefs that arise from subsiding sea floor platforms as coral
reef builds keeps ahead of subsidence, for example Lakshadweep and Nicobar. Seagrasses grow
on Kavaratti atoll, mangroves prevalent on Andaman and Nicobar coral reefs.
Among the four major reef areas of India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are found to be very
rich in species diversity followed by the Lakshadweep Islands, the Gulf of Mannar and finally
the Gulf of Kachchh.

Functions of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are natural protective barriers against erosion and storm surge.
The coral animals are highly adapted for capturm plankton from the water, thereby capturing
nutrient by largest biogenic calcium carbonate producer.
They provide substrate for mangroves.
Coral reefs provide habitat for a large variety of animal and plants including avifauna.
Species in the Coral Reefs
Producers
The three major groups of producers within this ecosystem include plants, algae and bacteria.
The only two types of plants that are found within coral reef ecosystems include seagrass and
mangroves; the rest are coral which is not a true plant. Algae plays an important role as a
producer in coral reef ecosystems. The three kinds of algae include seaweed, which is large
forms or macroscopic algae, green algae, and red algae. A microscopic species of algae known as
benthic diatoms are also very common in this ecosystem.

Consumers
Within this ecosystem there are many different species of primary, secondary and tertiary
consumers. Species that are primary consumers are herbivorous species that include invertebrates
such as, zooplankton, corals, sea sponges, mollusks, starfish, other primary consumers include
smaller species of fish and larger animals such as sea turtles, manatees and dugongs. The
secondary consumers are animals that prey on primary consumers. This includes larger fish such
as trigger fish, parrot fish and surgeon fish. Lobsters and crabs also prey upon primary
consumers. Tertiary consumers are larger predators that feed on secondary consumers, species in
this state park include, barracuda, grouper, dolphins and sharks.