What are coral reefs made of in the Caribbean?

A living coral reef is made up of colonies of tiny organisms that feed by straining plankton from the water. They also typically have a symbiotic relationship with certain strains of algae. Corals create shells made of calcium carbonate, and it is these shells that give a reef it’s stony appearance.

What type of coral is in the Caribbean?

Lettuce Coral This type of coral is common in the Caribbean and several species form plates and blades with intricate corallites. The scientific name for lettuce coral is (Agaricia). This coral can be gray, yellow, or brown, and some have bright green polyps.

Why are Caribbean coral reefs endangered?

An estimated one-third of Caribbean coral reefs are threatened by coastal development. This includes sewage discharge, urban runoff, construction, and tourist development. Sediment and pollution from inland sources threaten about one-third of Caribbean coral reefs.

How many species of coral are in the Caribbean?

Caribbean reefs likely contain about 30,000 described species of all taxa (about 22,000 macroscopic species). Coral reefs are poorly known taxonomically; probably only 5-10% of coral reef species have been described.

How do you identify soft corals?

So the next time you go diving try to spot the difference between hard and soft corals by looking for the number of tentacles on each polyp. If you find a polyp with eight tentacles you know you’ve spotted a soft corals. Any polyp with more tentacles than you can found is a hard coral (even if the body appears soft).

How do coral reefs benefit the Caribbean?

Importance of Coral Reefs Coral reefs are crucial sources of income for the tourism, fishing, and pharmaceutical industries and play a crucial role in protecting coastlines from erosion, flooding and storm damage.

Are Caribbean coral reefs endangered?

Why is the Caribbean coral reef important?

Not only do they provide food and shelter for a myriad of marine and fish species and direct support commercial and recreational fishing activities, coral reefs help to filter water, create sand, and serve as barriers that break the force of storm surges and high waves that if unchecked would accelerate shoreline …

Where are the Caribbean coral reefs?

Located in the center of the Caribbean Sea are the islands of the Greater Antilles: Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola (made up of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico. This study estimates that coral reefs cover over 8,600 sq km within the Greater Antilles.

How big is the Caribbean coral reef?

Ecology. The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world’s coral reefs, covering about 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), most of which are located off the Caribbean Islands and the Central American coast.

Is Red Coral hard or soft?

The hard skeleton of red coral branches is naturally matte, but can be polished to a glassy shine. It exhibits a range of warm reddish pink colors from pale pink to deep red; the word coral is also used to name such colors.

What are some unique characteristics of coral reefs?

Body Shape. A coral polyp is a tubular sac-like animal with a central mouth surrounded by a ring of tentacles.

What are the differences between coral reefs and rainforest?

Reefs and tropical rainforests differ significantly in taxonomy as well. Another major difference, according to one participant, is that many tropical rainforest organisms feed on the major structure of the forest—trees. Few organisms in a coral reef habitat feed on the major structure of the reef—coral.

Is a coral and a coral reef the same thing?

However, unlike rocks, corals are alive. And unlike plants, corals do not make their own food. Corals are in fact animals. The branch or mound that we often call “a coral” is actually made up of thousands of tiny animals called polyps. A coral polyp is an invertebrate that can be no bigger than a pinhead to up to a foot in diameter.

What are the three main types of coral reefs?

Great Barrier Reef.