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Marine Ecologists

Reef Quest

ecologist
Marine Ecologist investigating coral bleaching.

As an expert in the field of marine ecology (the study of interrelationships between organisms and their physical environment) your major role is to provide your team with the ecological information they need to compete the task. You will be called upon to document your research in your journal and present your findings as part of the team's oral presentation.

Research Questions:

  1. What is a coral reef? What is it composed of? Construct a map that shows the parts of the world where coral reef are found.
  2. Describe and diagrammatically represent how reefs are usually formed? Overview the major differences between fringing reefs, platform reefs, ribbon reefs and coral atolls.
  3. Discuss the reef as a biome, detailing the interdependence of individual species of animals and plants. Outline some of the relationships that exist between the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) elements of the reef ecosystem.
  4. Evaluate the importance of the reef ecosystem to human survival.
  5. Choose at least three organisations that are researching reefs and give detailed descriptions of their efforts to preserve and conserve them.

The following sites may be of some assistance: (More links coming soon)