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!! Home to 25% of all marine species !! Coral reefs are underwater structures made from
!! Reefs only occupy 1% of ocean calcium carbonate secreted by polyps
!! Mating, nursery and feeding grounds for important commercial fish !! Exoskeleton provides support and protection
Individual
!! Protect land from storm surges coral polyp
!! Use tentacles for feedings
!! 500 million people depend on reefs for subsistence !! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyLlXnasroY
!! $375 billion/year
!! $7.6 billion/year for Florida Keys
!! Fishing
!! Tourism
!! Protection
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!! Polyp will lift off its base and secrete a new basal plate !! Reefs take on one of three major
above the old one characteristic structure
!! Fringing
!! CaCO3 is deposited !! Barrie
!! Atoll
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!! Occur in response to biological stresses, !! Collection of live corals and fish for the aquarium market
such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, and !! Cyanide fishing
nonbiological stresses, such as increased
sea surface temperatures, ultraviolet !! Sewage
radiation and pollutants !! High in nutrients
!! Increase in frequency over last 10 years
!! Sea surface temperature rise
Black-
band !! Ocean acidification
disease
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