SCIENCE 6

CORAL REEFS
What do you know about coral
reefs?
Is a coral reef alive??
YES!
A coral reef is
actually made up of
MILLIONS of coral
polyps stuck
together
 Coral polyps are
shaped like a tube
and have a
stomach, mouth &
tentacles
 CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM
 Is an interactive area of coral reef development
containing many individual reefs and associate
habitat like sea grass meadows.
 A coral reef ecosystem extends from the
shorelines of tropical islands and coast to the deep
blue waters of the open sea.
 It includes the marine life in the sea and the non
living part of the ecosystem.
Coral Reefs
arecalled the “rainforests of the ocean” because
many different plants and animals live in them
and depend on them for shelter and protection.
Categories of Coral Reefs
Fringing reefs
Barrier reefs
Coral atolls
FRINGING REEFS
Fringing Reefs
grow near the
coastline around
islands and
continents.
They are
separated from
the shore by
narrow, shallow
lagoons.
BARRIER REEFS
Barrier reefs stand
between the open
sea and a lagoon.
The Great Barrier
Reef, which
stretches for
nearly 2,000 km
off the northeast
coast of Australia,
stands some
distance offshore.
CORAL ATOLLS
Are coral reefs
enclosing a
lagoon. They
consist of a coral
islet that has
built up from a
submerged
oceanic island
and a ring
lagoon.
Interactions in Marine Ecosystem-
Coral Reefs
 Sea grass which is the producer, provides nutrients
for every marine life like sea turtles, fishes and
manatees.
Predation
 Occurs between big and small fishes.
 Big fishes are predators in the ecosystem.
 They eat small fish as their food.
 Crown-of-thorns sea stars and sea urchins are
predators of corals.
 They eat corals, which is turn, coral reefs face a
biological disturbance.
 Competition
 Occurs when two or more organisms compete for resources
like food and space.
 Mutualism
 Occurs in the coral reef ecosystem where both
organisms are benefited.
 Example is the clown-fish and sea anemones
 The sea anemones live together showing a give-
and-take relationship.
 The sea anemone serves as the habitat of the
clownfish while the clown fish protect the sea
anemone from marine creatures that are immune
from sea anemone tentacles.
Parasitism
 One organism is benefited while the other one is
harmed.
 Evident between the worm living in the fish and
the fish itself.
 The parasite-like worm that lives in the guts and
flesh of fish is benefited while the fish is harmed
by the parasite.
Commensalism
 Barnacles are often found fixed to rocky surfaces,
even on the skin of whales and turtles.
 The barnacles are commensals while the whales
are the host.
 Barnacles are benefited while the host is neither
benefitted nor harmed.
Check your Knowledge
Multiple Choice. Read each item carefully. Choose the letter of
the correct answer.

1. What is not the benefit of coral reefs?

a. Provide rich sources of marine food
b. Protect the coastal areas from strong waves
c. Provide passage for strong currents to coastal
areas
d. Serve as a breeding ground of fishes and other
forms of marine life
2. Why are coral reefs important?
a. They are tourist attractions
b. They make the water shallow
c. They are colorful rocklike deposits
under water.
d. They serve as the habitat, hatchery and
nursery of different marine animals.
3. What are the producers in the coral
reef ecosystem?
a. Algae
b. Corals
c. Mangrove
d. Small fish
4. In a coral reef ecosystem, clownfishes
and sea anemones live together. What type
of relationship do they have?
a. Commensalism
b. Mutualism
c. Parasitism
d. predation
5. Which organisms show
commensalism?
a. Fish living on corals
b. Sea urchins eating corals
c. Barnacle living on a whale
d. Clownfish living on sea anemone