Interactive
Fun Facts!
- In the Caribbean, the area that hard corals cover has decreased by 80% in the past thirty years
- Hotspots: These ten locations have been identified by UNEP-WCMC (The World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme) as “coral reef hotspots.” This means that most inhabitants of these reefs will likely become extinct unless immediate action is taken. Eight of these hotspots are located near “terrestrial hotspots.”i. Philippines
ii. Gulf of Guinea
iii. Sunda Islands
iv. Southern Mascarene Islands
v. Eastern South Africa
vi. Northern Indian Ocean
vii. Southern Japan, Taiwan, and Southern China
viii. Cape Verde Islands
ix. Western Caribbean
x. Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
- Between 10 and 27 percent of the world's reefs already have died
- Great Barrier Reef= largest in the world (1492 MILES/ 2300 KM) (2100 reefs)
- Small patches of coral are called “bommies”
- Indo-Pacific ocean bears 730 species, Atlantic- 65
- Millions of marine sponges dot the floors of the Great Barrier Reef. These sponges have hundreds of miniscule pores which
contain microalgae and bacteria. These species of bacteria and microalgae are yielding pharmaceutical drugs
ranging from hypertension drugs to antibiotics
- 80% of the world's species live in the ocean and therefore marine ecosystems will
remain under intense scrutiny by companies and universities searching for new biologically active compounds
- Japan is the leading country in terms of investing in marine biotechnology
- It is estimated that less than 10 percent of coral reef biodiversity is known
Quiz!
Choose one answer to each of the following questions. After you have decided, click submit to see the correct answer and a brief explanation. Good Luck!!!
1. Corals are used in which of the following?
2. Spawning is an asexual type of coral reproduction.
3. Which of the following is a reason for the decline of coral reefs?
4. What characteristic of corals led scientists to believe that corals could yield medicinal cures?
5. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park:
6. How far below the surface are hermatypic corals most likely to be found?
7. How does the L.A.L test detect the presence of endotoxins?
8. Many conservation organizations advocate:
9. The stages in reef formation include all of the following EXCEPT:
10. Which of the following constitute potential cures and current research pertaining to ocean organisms?
11. Zooxanthellae is:
12. Agricultural runoff strengthens coral polyps through its introduction of important vitamins and minerals.