Biotic- are the living things that shape an ecosystem.

Abiotic- are non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment which affect ecosystems.

Coral Reefs- are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals.

Ecosystem- is a biological system consisting of all the living organisms or biotic components in a particular area and the nonliving or abiotic component with which the organisms interact, such as air, mineral soil, water and sunlight.

Warm water temperatures are required for a coral reef biome to exist. That is why they are in the water that is shallow. In the deeper locations of water, the sun isn’t able to shine due to the depths of it. With the shallow water though the sun can get to the bottom of it and warm the area up.

http://bioexpedition.com/coral-reef-biome/

Marine Algae Seagrasses Mangroves Calcareous Algae Coralline Algae Blue-Green Algae Red Algae Brown Algae The main types of plants that are found in the coral reef

environment are basically algae and seagrasses. These are the most important element in the entire reef ecosystem. The algae can range in various sizes. They can be simple plants such as the zooxanthellae or the common known seaweeds. Seaweeds are multicellular branching forms. These provide food to the corals through photosynthesis.

Reef Fishes Sea Snakes Sea Turtles Dugongs and Manatees Corals Sponges Echinoderms Crustaceans Polychaetes Some of the groups of animals frequently seen on the reefs though

include: Sea Fans (type of soft coral), Sharks, Butterfly fish,Sea stars, Cuttlefish, and Clownfish. But also even some reptiles such as turtles and sea snakes. All in all there are thousands of animals that make the coral reefs there home.

The way the animals adapt to their habitat is by using it for protection and feeding and nurseries, and camouflage and shelter.

Coral reefs are located in tropical oceans near the equator.

The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The second largest coral reef can be found off the coast of Belize, in Central America. 

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

Human activity and climate change have left about 75% of the world's coral reefs threatened, putting the livelihoods of many countries that depend on the ocean ecosystems at risk.

Local threats such as overfishing, coastal development, and watershed- and marine-based pollution are responsible for the immediate and direct threat to more than 60% of the world's reefs. Add to that thermal stress from rising ocean temperatures and the number of threatened reefs jumps to 75%, the World Resources Institute found in the report, titled "Reefs at Risk,"

The fact that coral reefs are so beautiful I had to learn more about them. Coral reefs are like a small New York city at the bottom of the sea. Except the fishes are more decent to get along with. So of course I enjoy visiting coral reefs and watching life flow by under the water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef http://www.reef.crc.org.au/discover/

plantsanimals/facts_plantanimal.htm http://www.coral-reef-info.com/coral-

reef-animals.html