Download Biome! - The Oaks School

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Biomes
Around the
World
Created by
The 4th grade class
Of
2015-2016
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Land Biomes
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Desert…………………………………………page!1!
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Grasslands…………………………………..page!3!
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Savanna……………………………………...page!6!
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Tundra………………………………….…….page!8!
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Tropical!Rainforest………………….…page!10!
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Temperate!Forest……………………..page!11!
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Taiga!Forest………………………..…….page!13!
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WATER Biomes
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Marine!Biome………………………….page!15!
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Freshwater!Biome…………….…….page!16!
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Coral!Reefs………………………..…….page!17!
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Desert Biome
What makes a desert a desert?
Deserts generally get ten inches or less rain each year. They are
so dry that sometimes rain evaporates before it can even hit the
ground. Many deserts are rocky with scattered plants and
shrubs
Hot in the day, Cold in the night
Some deserts can reach temperatures of well over 100 degrees
during the day. And then drop below 32 degrees. Many deserts
can get cold when the sun sets.
Where are the major hot and dry deserts?
The largest hottest and driest desert in the world is the Sahara
Desert in northern Africa. The Sahara Desert covers over 3
million square miles of northern Africa.
How do animals survive in the desert?
Animals have adapted to survive in deserts despite there lack of
rain and very hot temperatures. Many of the animals are
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nocturnal which means they sleep in the hot day and come out
during the cool night.
What plants can live in deserts?
Many plants are armed with sharp spines and needles to protect
them from animals. These include cactus, grasses, shrubs, and
some short trees.
Dust storms
Because the desert is so dry the wind will grind pebbles and
sand into dust. Occasionally a big wind will gather the dust into
a big storm. Dust storms can be over one-mile high and so thick
that you couldn’t breath. They also can travel a thousand miles.
Expanding deserts
Currently deserts cover around 20%of the worlds land but they
are growing’ this is called desertification and is caused by
different factors including human activities the Sahara Desert is
expanding at the rate of around 30 miles per year.
Facts about the desert biome
The giant saguaro cactus can grow 50 feet tall and live for 200
years. Plants that store water in their stems are called succulents.
Some desert trees have deep tape roots that grow up to 30 feet
deep in order to find water.
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Grassland Biome
What are Grasslands?
Grasslands!are!wide!expanses!of!low!growing!plants.!
The!amounts!of!rain!are!not!enough!to!grow!tall!plants!
like!trees.!
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Where are the Major World
Grasslands?
Grassland!are!generally!between!deserts!and!forests.!
Major!grasslands!are!located!in!South!America!and!North!!
America,!but!they!are!also!in!Asia,!Africa,!and!Australia.!
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Types of Temperate Grasslands
Each!major!area!of!grassland!in!the!world!has!it’s!
own!characteristics!and!is!often!called!by!other!
names.!For!example,!grasslands!in!North!America!!
are!called!prairies.!!They!cover!around!1.4!million!
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square!miles!of!central!United!States.!
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Animals in the grasslands
The!biodiversity!grasslands!contain!foxes,!bobcats,!
eagles,!turkeys,!and!wolfs.!
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Plants in the grasslands`
There!are!thousands!of!types!of!plants!in!the!grasslands!
including!weeds!and!hard!grasses.!
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Fires
Wild!fires!can!play!an!important!role!for!the!grasslands.!
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Farming and Food
The!grassland!biome!plays!an!important!role!in!human!
farming.!They!are!used!to!grow!crops!like!wheat!and!
corn.!
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The shrinking grasslands
!Unfortunately,!human!farming!and!development!has!
caused!grasslands!to!steadily!shrink.!
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Facts about the Grassland Biome
Prairie!dogs!are!rodents!that!live!in!burrows!under!the!
grasslands.!Their!towns!can!stretch!over!hundreds!of!
acres.!
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Savanna biome
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Characteristics!of!the!savanna!
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The!savanna!is!a!rolling!rolling!grassland!with!scattered!trees!and!
shrubs.!!There!are!often!large!herds!of!grazing!animals!on!the!savanna!
that!thrive!on!the!abundance!of!grass!and!trees.!
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Where!are!the!major!savanna!biomes?!
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Savannas!are!generally!found!between!the!desert!biome!and!the!
rainforest!biome.!!The!largest!savanna!is!located!in!Africa!nearly!half!of!
the!continent!of!Africa!is!covered!with!savanna!grassland.!
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Animals!in!the!savanna!
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Many!large!herbivores!(plant!eating!animals)!live!here,!these!include!
zebras,!wildebeests,!giraffes,!ostriches.!!Predators!are!lions,!leopards!
and!cheetahs.!
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Plants!in!the!savanna!
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The!majority!of!the!savanna!is!covered!in!different!tip!of!grass!like!
lemon!grass,!star!grass!and!Bermuda!grass.!!It’s!dry!so!the!plants!
survive!by!storing!water!in!there!roots!or!reaching!low!to!get!water!
with!there!roots.!
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Fires!in!the!savanna!
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Fires!are!an!important!part!of!the!savanna.!!!They!clear!out!the!dead!
grass!and!make!way!for!new!grass!to!grow.!
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Is!the!savanna!in!danger?!
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Over!farming!and!grazing!has!destroyed!most!of!the!savanna.!!In!Africa!
the!desert!is!expanding!into!the!savanna!at!the!rate!of!30!miles!per!
year.!
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Facts!about!the!savanna!
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The!African!savanna!boasts!the!largest!land!animal,!the!giraffe.!!The!
baobab!tree!can!live!for!thousands!of!years.!
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Tundra!
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Characteristics*of*the*Tundra*Biome*
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It!gets!as!low!as!18!degrees!Fahrenheit!in!the!summer.!It!is!like!a!desert!
of!snow.!
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Two*Types*of*Tundra*
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Alpine!tundra!is!the!area!of!high!land!in!the!mountains!above!the!tree!
line.!Arctic!tundra!is!located!far!north!in!the!Arctic!circle.!!!
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Tundra*Seasons*
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The!Tundra!has!two!different!seasons:!a!long!winter!and!a!short!
summer.!Being!so!far!north!the!tundra!has!long!winters.!
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What*is*permafrost*
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Permafrost!is!a!layer!of!ground!below!the!topsoil!that!remains!frozen!
throughout!the!year.!!This!layer!is!generally!only!a!few!feet!below!the!
surface.!
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Plants*in*the*tundra*
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Plants!that!grow!in!the!tundra!include!grasses,!shrubs,!herbs!and!
lichens.!
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Animals*in*the*the*tundra*
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The!tundra!has!a!lot!more!animal!activity!in!the!summer!than!the!
winter.!This!is!because!most!birds!migrate!south!for!the!summer.!
Insects!lay!eggs!that!wait!for!the!summer!to!hatch.!
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Facts*About*the*Tundra*Biome*
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The!word!Tundra!comes!from!a!Finnish!word!tunturi!which!means!tree!
less!plain!or!barren!land.!
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Tropical Rainforest Biome!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What!Makes!a!Rainforest!a!Rainforest:!
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Most!Rainforests!get!75!inches!of!rain!daily!that!means!they!also!get!floods,!down!
pours,!and!many!other!water!difficulties’!many!species!of!animals!get!killed!at!this!
time.!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Where!Are!the!Worlds!Rainforests?!!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!South!America,!Africa,!Central!America,!Brazil,!Madagascar!are!the!
worlds!Rainforest!and!act!like!the!earths!lungs!the!trees!give!us!oxygen!to!breath.!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Biodiversity!!
The!Tropical!rainforest!has!the!most!biodiversity!of!all!the!biomes!despite!only!
covering!6%!of!the!earth!surface.!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Layers!of!the!Rainforest!
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!!!!!!!!!There!are!3!layers!of!the!rainforest!the!canopy,!the!understory,!and!the!
forest!floor.!!!
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The!rainforest!also!provides!a!number!of!medicines!and!drugs!that!help!the!
sicknesses!and!diseases.!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Disappearing!Rainforests!!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Unfortunately,!human!development!has!been!destroying!rainforest!
and!killing!animals.!!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Fact!about!tropical!rainforests!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!In!the!amazon!rainforest!alone!there!can!be!be!found!over!2,000!
species!of!leopards.!!
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Temperate!Forest!
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What!makes!a!temperate!forest?!
_! It!can!be!between!minus!30!degrees!and!60!degrees.!!
_! Temperate!means!temperature!in!this!case.!
_! There!are!4!season![winter,!spring,!summer!and!fall]!
and!since!winter!is!only!a!couple!months!in!winter!
plants!have!plenty!of!time!to!grow.!
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Where!are!the!temperate!forest!located?!
_! They’re!located!in!many!spots!in!the!world!around!
half!way!between!the!equator!and!the!poles.!
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Types!of!temperate!forest!
_! there!are!many!different!kinds!of!trees!which!are:!
cedar,!cypress,!red!wood,!fir,!juniper,!and!pine!trees.!
These!trees!have!needles!instead!of!leaves!and!
cones!instead!of!flowers.!!
_! Broad!leaf!trees!are:!maple,!oak,!elm,!walnut,!
chestnut!and!hickory!trees.!
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Major!temperate!forest!of!the!world!are:!
_! Japan!
_! Europe!
_! Eastern!North!America!!
_! Eastern!China!!!
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_! South!Australia!!
_! New!Zealand!!
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The!plants!of!the!temperate!forest!
The!plants!of!the!temperate!forest!grow!in!many!
different!layers.!!
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The!top!layer!is!called!the!canopy.!The!canopy!is!made!of!
full!grown!trees.!!
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The!second!layer!is!called!the!understory.!The!
understory!is!made!up!of!smaller!trees.!!
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The!third!layer!is!called!the!forest!floor.!The!forest!floor!
is!made!up!of!ferns!and!moss!and!many!other!things.!
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Animals!of!the!temperate!forest!!
Animals!are:!black!bears,!mountain!lions,!deer,!fox,!
squirrel,!skunk,!rabbit,!porcupine,!timber!wolves!and!a!
number!of!birds.!Each!of!the!species!of!animals!adapted!
to!the!winter.!
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Facts!about!the!temperate!forest!
A!single!oak!tree!can!produce!90,000!acorns!a!year!!
Trees!use!birds,!acorns!and!the!wind!to!carry!their!seeds!!
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The Taiga Forest
What makes the forest the Taiga Forest?
Evergreen!trees!are!a!big!part!of!the!taiga!forest.!these!are!
trees!that!don’t!drop!there!leaves!or!needle!in!the!winter.!they!
keep!their!leaves!so!that!they!can!soak!as!much!sun!light!for!as!
long!as!possible.
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Where are the Taiga Forests located in the
World?
These!forests!are!located!in!the!far!north!typically!between!
the!temperate!forest!biome!and!the!tundra!biome.!Russia,!
Siberia,!Canada,!Alaska,!Finland!and!Norway.!
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Plants of the Taiga?
The!dominant!plant!of!the!forest!is!the!evergreen!trees!these!
trees!include!Spruce,!pine,!cedar!and!fir!trees.!
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Animals of the Taiga Biome !!!!!!!!!!!
Birds,!squirrels,!cooper’s!hawks,!wolverines,!wolves,!Snowshoe!
hares,!deer,!elk,!bears,!chipmunks,!bats!and!wood!peckers!!!
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Facts about the Taiga Biome
_Taiga!is!a!Russian!word!for!forest.!!
_Many!years!ago!the!taiga!was!covered!in!ice!glaciers.!!
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MARINE!BIOME!
TYPES!OF!MARINE!BIOMES!
Although!the!marine!biome!is!primarily!made!up!of!oceans,!it!can!be!
divided!up!into!three!types:!
•! Oceans!
•! Coral!Reefs!
•! Estuaries!
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Ocean!Light!Zones!
The!ocean!can!be!divided!up!into!three!layers!or!zones.!These!layers!are!
called!“Light!Zones”!because!they!are!based!on!how!much!sunlight!each!
area!receives.!
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Animals!of!the!Marine!Biome!
The!marine!biome!has!the!most!biodiversity!of!all!the!biomes.!Many!of!
the!animals!such!as!fish,!have!gills!that!allow!them!to!breathe!the!
water.!Other!animals!are!mammals!that!need!to!come!up!to!the!surface!
to!breathe,!but!spend!much!of!their!lives!in!the!water.!Another!type!of!
marine!animal!is!the!mollusk!which!has!a!soft!body!and!no!backbone.!!
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Plants!of!The!Marine!Biome!
There!are!thousands!of!species!that!live!in!the!ocean.!They!rely!on!
photosynthesis!from!the!sun!for!energy.!Plants!in!the!ocean!are!
extremely!important!to!all!life!on!planet!earth.!Algae!in!the!ocean!
absorbs!carbon!dioxide!and!provides!much!of!the!earth’s!oxygen.!
Examples!of!algae!include!kelp!and!phytoplankton.!Other!oceans!plants!
are!seaweeds,!sea!grasses,!mangroves.!
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Facts!About!the!Marine!Biome!
The!average!depth!of!the!ocean!is!12,400!ft.!Over!90%!of!the!life!on!
earth!lives!in!the!ocean.!
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FRESHWATER!BIOME!
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Types!of!Fresh!Water!Biomes!
There!are!three!main!types!of!freshwater!biomes:!
•! Ponds!&!Lakes!
•! Streams!&!rivers!
•! Wetlands!
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Ponds!and!Lakes!
Ponds!and!lakes!are!often!called!lentic!ecosystems.!This!means!
that!they!have!still!or!standing!waters,!not!moving!like!rivers!or!
streams.!
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Streams!and!Rivers!
Rivers!and!streams!are!often!called!lotic!ecosystems.!This!means!
that!they!have!flowing!waters,!unlike!the!still!waters!of!ponds!
and!lakes.!This!biome!can!vary!in!size!dramatically!from!small!
trickling!streams!to!mild!wide!rivers!that!travel!for!thousands!of!
miles.!
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Wetlands!Biome!
The!wetlands!biome!is!a!combination!of!land!and!water.!The!land!
may!be!mostly!underwater!for!part!of!the!year!or!just!flooded!at!
certain!times.!One!of!the!key!characteristics!of!a!wetland!is!that!
its!supports!aquatic!plants.!
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Facts!About!the!Freshwater!Biome!
The!largest!wetland!biome!in!the!world!is!the!Pantanal!in!South!
America.!
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Coral Reefs
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What is a Coral Reef?
Coral Reefs are made of organisms called
polyps. Polyps live on the outside of reefs.
When a polyp dies, it becomes hard and new
polyps grow on top of it causing the reef to
grow.
Does the coral reef eat?
Polyps eat small animals (called plankton) and
algae. The algae get their food from sun.
Coral Reefs need clear water to form.
Where are the Coral Reefs
located?
The Great Barrier Reef stretches for 2,600
miles. Coral Reef need warm shallow water to
form.
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Types of Coral Reefs
Fringe: Fringe reefs grow close to the shore
line. They can be attached to the shore or to
a channel lagoon.
Barrier: Barrier reefs grow further from the
shore line. Sometimes they can be several
miles from the shore.
Atoll: An atoll is a ring of corals
surrounding a lagoon. It begins as a fringe
reef around a volcanic island. Some atolls are
so big that people can live on them. An
example of this is the Maldives.
Zones of the Coral Reef
Coral Reefs develop zones. Each zone is
inhabited by different corals, fish, and ocean
life.
Shore Zone: Depending on the shape of the
reef, this area can be full of fish, sea
cucumbers and starfish (sea stars.)
Crest Zone: This is the highest point of the
reef where waves break.
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Fore Zone: Around 30 feet deep, you will find
it most populated part of the reef, full of
different types of corals!
Coral Reefs animals and plants
-Star coral
-Brain (!) coral
-Column coral
-Cactus coral
-Finger coral
-Sponges
-Sea Stars
-Anemones
-Lionfish
-Snails
-Puffer fish
-Clams
-Cuttlefish
-Clownfish
-Sea cucumbers
-Sharks
Sea grass, seaweed and algae
Many animals attach themselves to the reef
covering nearly every square inch.
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Why are the Coral Reef important?
Medical discoveries such as medicine for
cancer. Coral Reefs provide food from fishing.
Are they in danger?
Yes! The reefs are slowly being destroyed.
Since they grow at such a slow rate they are
disintegrating faster than they can be
repaired. Much of the damage is caused by
humans primarily from pollution and
overfishing. Even tourists can damage the
reefs by standing on them, touching them, or
bumping into them with their boats.
Facts About the Coral Reef
Coral Reefs grow very slowly. Large reefs grow
at the rate to 1 to 2 cm. per year. It’s
estimated that some of the largest took as
long as 30 million years to form. The Great
Barrier reef is so big it can be seen from
outer space.