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MARINE ECOSYSTEMS IN W.A.: Reefs

Reef locations in WA?

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SOURCE: Ocean Data Viewer, (UN environment programme) Global Distribution of Coral Reefs, 2018, URL: https://data.unep-wcmc.org/ 

Coral reefs and our current climate

The Scott Reef complex is Australia’s largest oceanic reef system. Rising from deep waters near the edge of northwest Australia’s continental shelf, these reefs are remote and free from many of the local pressures degrading other reefs around the world. ‘Coral Reefs and Our Current Climate’ was created by AIMS researcher James Gilmour, and photographer Nick Thake.

SOURCE: AIMS (2017) on YouTube, Duration: 6:03 mins, URL: https://youtu.be/W7iwTaW3ZXM

Species and their adaptations

Diverse Marine Life at Ningaloo

Researchers at The University of Western Australia have collected rare imagery revealing rich marine biodiversity at Ningaloo Reef, after deploying baited underwater cameras to analyse various fish species.

SOURCE: YouTube, The University of Western Australia, Rare pictures uncover diverse marine life at Ningaloo Reef (2019), Duration: 01:03, URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RVL0aklA4

Importance of Coral Reefs

Reef and Beyond

The Great Barrier Reef is intimately connected to the rest of the worlds tropical seas, with creatures ranging from giant whales to small sea birds passing through its coral cays and lagoons every year. Sharks and turtles migrate thousands of miles across the Pacific to the isolated coral islands of the reef and humpback and minke whales cross the ocean each year from the Antarctic. The reef also attracts seabirds breeding on its coral cays, and deep sea creatures making their way up from the ocean depths under the cover of night. 

SOURCE: Clickview, The Great Barrier Reef - Reef and Beyond : Episode 3 (2012), Rating: E, Duration: 42.03, URL: https://clickv.ie/w/gKio

WHAT is a reef?

Rocky Shores and Reefs

This programme looks at how rocky shores and shoreline reefs are formed, explains the three zones of a coastline, and examines the fauna and flora that live on on the coastline.

SOURCE: Clickview, Rocky Shores and Reefs (2019) Rated E, Duration: 19:17 mins, URL: https://clickv.ie/w/bJio

 

Reef Ecosystem

This episodes examines coral reefs and the nature of this mostly closed energy system and answers the question ‘why do reefs support many species but only a relative small number of individuals of that species?”

SOURCE: YouTube, An Australian Ecosystem series - The Living Landscape: Reef Ecosystem (2020), Duration: 20:12 mins, URL: https://youtu.be/NzoA8-EKTqQ

Example of a Coral Reef FOOD WEB

Coral Reefs: Unraveling The Web.

Coral reefs are an ecosystem that supports millions of different creatures. A coral reef food web is so complex, it's better to think of it as a food web - a network of food chains - that tells a story about the interdependence of all the animals and plants that live in the reef.

SOURCE: YouTube, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Coral Reefs: Unraveling the Web (2015), Duration: 43:07 mins. URL: https://youtu.be/kuEe4376il8