Introduction

The year 2008 has been chosen as the International Year of the Reef (IYOR),

it is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about the importance of coral reefs and

threats to their sustainability,and to motivate people to take action to protect

them.

Singapore Underwater World is an important member of the IYOR 2008

Singapore

working committee and is garnering support from all schools to

commemorate this meaningful year.

Our Passion

We as a group, strongly belive that coral reefs are special treasures

and that we have no rights to destroy this beautiful habitat for

marine life.

About Us

Class: 5 Excellence

Nicholas Wong- nicholas@live.com.sg

Shawn Ong- gazerblaze@hotmail.com

Matthew Wong- N/A
_______________________________________

Teacher-in-charge - Mdm Noraini Bte Mansoor

School: Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School-

8 Bishan Street 13 S579793
_______________________________________

About Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine

waters with little to no nutrients in the water.In most reefs, the predominant

organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of

calcium carbonate. The accumulation of skeletal material, broken and piled up by

wave action and bioeroders , produces a massive calcareous formation that

supports the living corals and a great variety of other animal and plant life.

Where can Coral Reefs be found?

Most Coral Reefs are located in tropical oceans near the Earth's equator.

The largest Coral Reef in the world is the Great Barrier Reef, located in Australia.

The second largest Coral Reef can be found off the coast of Belize and in Central America.

Other reefs can be found in Hawaii, the Red Sea and other areas in tropical oceans.

Coral Reef's food chain

Pictures of healthy Coral Reefs

Pictures of damaged coral reefs

Coral Reefs are long-time legacies

Coral reefs are also living museums and reflect thousands of years of history.

Many U.S. coral reefs were alive and thriving centuries before the European

colonization of the nearby shores. Some reefs are even older than our old-growth

redwood forests. They are an integral part of many cultures and our natural

heritage. In fact, Coral reefs are some of the oldest and most diverse ecosystems

on the planet.

Coral Reefs may be natural shoreline buffers

The coral reefs' structure also buffers shorelines against waves, storms and

floods, helping to prevent loss of life, property damage, and erosion. Several

million people live in U.S. coastal areas near coral reefs, and the

well-being of their communities and economies is directly dependent on the

health of nearby coral reefs.

Medicinal benefits of Coral reefs

Finally, coral reefs are sometimes called the “medicine cabinets” of the 21st

century. Coral reef plants and animals are important sources of new medicines

being developed to treat cancer, arthritis, human bacterial infections, heart

disease, viruses and other diseases. Some coral reef organisms produce powerful

chemicals to fend off attackers, scientists continue to research the medicinal

potential of these substances. In the future, coral reef ecosystems could

represent an increasingly important source of medical treatments, nutritional

supplements, pesticides, cosmetics and other commercial products.

Threats to Coral Reefs

Corals and coral reefs are extremely sensitive. Slight changes in the reef

environment may have detrimental effects on the health of entire coral colonies.

These changes may be due to a variety of factors, but they generally fall within two

categories: natural disturbances and anthropogenic disturbances. Although

natural disturbances may cause severe changes in coral communities,

anthropogenic disturbances have been linked to the vast majority of decreases in

coral cover and general colony health when coral reefs and humans occur

together. One of the greatest threats to coral reefs is human expansion and

development. As development continues to alter the landscape, the amount of

freshwater runoff increases. This terrigenous runoff may carry large amounts of

sediment from land-clearing areas, high levels of nutrients from agricultural

areas or septic systems, as well as many pollutants such as petroleum products or

insecticides. Whether it is direct sedimentation onto the reef or an increase in the

turbidity of the water due to eutrophication, decreases in the amounts of light

reaching corals and may cause bleaching.

In addition, increases in the amounts of nutrients enhance the growth of other

reef organisms such as sponges which may outcompete the corals for space on

crowded reefs.

How you can help protect the coral reefs!

Do not deploy the anchor directly above the coral.

Use navigational charts to locate coral reefs in case boats run aground and

destroy them.

Do not dispose of trash,washings, or other debris on or near the coral reefs.

Don't touch corals when diving or snorkeling. Coral is made of a hard

skeleton,but coral polyps are fragile.You may damage the fragile coral polyps

in the process.

Anglers should avoid shallow coral reefs when trolling. Hooks can injure and

scar the coral,leaving it vulnerable to infection by microscopic organisms

that can kill the coral.

When harvesting for lobsters, refrain from touching coral reefs and never use

chemicals near a reef. Heavy traps break coral and damage the surrounding

habitat when the traps are pulled.

Conclusion

Hope that you have enjoyed our blog and understand that all Coral Reefs will be

destroyed at the current unfavourable rate. Do your part in taking care of Coral

Reefs and be amazed by Mother Nature's natural scenery and greenery. DO NOT

take Coral Reefs for granted and treasure it!

Quiz

Q1) Which year has been chosen as the International Year of the Reef?


Ans:______





Q2) Coral Reefs are just places of attractions and are of no use?


True/False





Q3) Coral Reefs will never be destroyed?


True/False





Q4) Coral Reefs have no living creatures in it?


True/False





Q5) Inconsiderate actions of ours will not harm the Coral Reefs?(eg. to litter near shores)


True/False



Note: All the answers can be found in the blog.

Credits

Design and Music: Shawn Ong

Appreciative Poem: Matthew Wong

Information:Nicholas Wong