Coral reefs can be found in nearly all marine environments that feature shallow seawater levels, indicated by the red boxes in the image above.
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Describe your ecosystem and explain what life in a coral reef would be like.
Coral Reefs are wildly diverse and can house innumerable species of fish, crabs, worms, plankton, algae, corals and more. Up to 25% of all known marine species can be found in coral reefs. The corals that take refuge in the beautiful reefs are shallow-water, stony corals. The architecture of the ecosystem is incredibly complex, with no coral reef ever being the exact same shape or size. Coral reefs face constant threats from warming water, ocean acidification, pollution, and invasive species. Interesting factors about the environment. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) consist of small islands, atolls, submerged banks, and reefs, which stretch for more than 2,000 km northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands. On June 15, 2006, the President of the United States designated the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) a national monument, enabling nearly 140,000 square miles of the NWHI to receive our Nation's highest form of marine environmental protection. The coral reefs of the NWHI may be the healthiest and most undisturbed of the United States reefs, and unlike most other present-day coral reefs, they comprise possibly the last, large-scale, apex predator-dominated coral reef ecosystem on Earth. The NWHI coral reefs and associated habitats harbor more than 7,000 species, many of which are rare, threatened, or endangered; many are endemic, found nowhere else on Earth. Many more remain unidentified or even undiscovered to science. |
Major Biotic Factors
1. Producers
Crustose Coralline Algae, like that featured above, in another dominant species in coral reef ecosystems.
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This is a coral polyp, the most dominant animal populating the vast reefs, and it's many features.
Human Impact
Coastal Development and Runoff A century ago, coastal development in the NWHI consisted of the establishment of the Commercial Pacific Cable Company at Midway. Construction has been the repair of the seawall protecting Tern Island’s small runway and buildings. This construction was needed to halt the erosion of the island and to eliminate the risk of injury and death to endangered monk seals, threatened green sea turtles and migratory seabirds. Contamination at all of these sites includes offshore and onshore contaminated debris, such as batteries (lead and mercury), transformers with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), capacitors and barrels. Uncharacterized, unlined landfills remain at some islands. Pollution generated by past and present human activities, from sea-based and land-based sources, continues to stress the NWHI ecosystem. Emergency response mechanisms and ongoing cleanup and restoration activities must be maintained and enhanced to address these issues. Tourism and Recreation A range of options for visitor activities (such as wildlife viewing and snorkeling excursions) is being considered but must be compatible with maintaining wildlife health. Based on the results of the evaluation required in the Monument Management Plan’s Midway Atoll Visitor Services Action Plan, other operational designs may be instituted in the longer term. |