Reef connectivity and biodiversity

Adaptations

1. How do sea creatures breathe underwater? Most animals use special organs called gills.
2. Circle the animals below if you think they have gills.
For the animals that you didn’t circle, investigate how they are able to survive life underwater.

Seagrass meadows are important ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Colour all the animals you can find and then answer the following questions.
1. Identify as many organisms as you can and record their names below:
2. Define the following terms: a. Producer b. Consumer c. Decomposer
3. Identify an organism in a seagrass meadow that is a: a. Producer b. Consumer c. Decomposer

Structural Adaptations

1. How do corals compete for light? Reef building corals require solar energy to grow and lay down their skeleton.
2. Your challenge is to investigate the structural adaptations that corals have evolved to compete for this valuable resource.
3. Use the information gained to complete the table below.

Structural adaptations

1. Use the information on page 2 to help you complete the table below as you explore animal shapes, habitats and special features. Explore animal shapes, habitats and special features.
An animal’s mouth and body shape, as well as the habitat it lives in can give us clues as to what it feeds upon. Many marine organisms also possess defence mechanisms to prevent them from becoming food themselves.
2. Use the information below to assist you in completing the table on the previous page.

Structural adaptations

Crustaceans have adapted their jointed, armoured legs so that they can be used not just for walking over sand and coral, but for swimming, feeling, catching and grasping food, holding bunches of eggs and even for shooting backwards.

1. Using the letters in this table, colour in the legs as indicated and find out uses of the different legs on each of these crustaceans. Some legs may be used for more than one action.

Design the ultimate reef creature

1. Design the ultimate reef creature animal species name.
2. Draw your creature!
a) Would an animal with a shark's body, jellyfish tentacles and stonefish camouflage be the ultimate survivor on a coral reef?
b) Using what you already know, and the information on page 2, create your own Ultimate Reef Creature. Make sure to name your creation and list it’s adaptations in the boxes below, then draw what your creature would look like.
c) Pick your favourite reef creature and tick the adaptations they possess from the list below.

Classification - Phylum Cnidaria

1. Name three animals that belong to the phylum Cnidaria.
2. Identify the key characteristics of Cnidarians.
3. Describe what nematocysts are used for.

Classification - Phylum Mollusca

1. List some of the animals that belong in this phylum.
2. Identify the key characteristics of animals in this phylum.
3. Describe what a radula is and where it is found.

Classification - Phylum Echinodermata

1. List the five (5) main classes (groups) of animals in this phylum.
2. Identify the key characteristics of animals in this phylum.
3. Describe papulae and explain what they are used for.
4. Describe a madreporite and explain what it is used for.