What are the environmental features of the Great Barrier Reef?
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What are the environmental features of the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef consists of about 3,000 individual reefs of coral, and the biodiversity they contain is remarkable. There are animals you would probably recognize, such as dolphins, turtles, crocodiles, and sharks. There are also venomous sea snakes, brightly colored worms, and large algae.
What is the physical geography of the Great Barrier Reef?
Geography. The reef actually consists of some 2,100 individual reefs and some 800 fringing reefs (formed around islands or bordering coastlines). Many are dry or barely awash at low tide; some have islands of coral sand, or cays; and others fringe high islands or the mainland coast.
What are biophysical processes in marine environments?
The term “biophysical” describes the abiotic and biotic conditions of an environment and includes chemical, biological, physical and ecological components. These conditions and processes can occur naturally (e.g, currents), and/or be influenced by anthropogenic drivers (e.g., ocean warming).
What is the biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef?
Its diversity includes but is not restricted to over 410 species of hard coral, over 1,620 species of fish, 2,000 species of sponge, 14 species of sea snake, six of the world’s seven species of marine turtle, at least 300 mollusc species, 630 species of echinoderm, and 500 species of marine alga.
What are the biophysical interactions affecting the functioning of the Great Barrier Reef?
Important interactions that allow coral reefs to function: shallow water (an interaction between the lithosphere and hydrosphere) warm water (an interaction between the hydrosphere and atmosphere) clear water (an interaction between the hydrosphere, lithosphere and human impacts)
Is the Great Barrier Reef a natural environment or a human environment?
The Great Barrier Reef is unique as it extends over 14 degrees of latitude, from shallow estuarine areas to deep oceanic waters. Within this vast expanse are a unique range of ecological communities, habitats and species – all of which make the Reef one of the most complex natural ecosystems in the world.
What are the biophysical processes of coral reefs?
warm water (an interaction between the hydrosphere and atmosphere) clear water (an interaction between the hydrosphere, lithosphere and human impacts) salinity (an interaction between the hydrosphere and lithosphere) high oxygen levels (an interaction between the hydrosphere and atmosphere)
What are biophysical processes?
Affecting biological factors or systems, a Biophysical Process is a subatomic, atomic, or molecular process that involves passive, physical movement; attraction or repulsion (electrostatic, van der Waals, gradient, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, etc.
How does the Great Barrier Reef support biodiversity?
It provides habitat for nearly 9,000 species of marine life—and that’s just the (relatively) easy to count ones! The reef’s rich biodiversity helps it to maintain a stable and healthy coral reef system. Another way to look at biodiversity is from the perspective of the ‘jobs’ that organisms do within the system.
How will you describe the biodiversity of the coral reef ecosystem?
Coral reef diversity This area supports more than 7,000 species of fishes, invertebrates, plants, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Deep water reefs or mounds are less well known, but also support a wide array of sea life in a comparatively barren world.
What are the types of biophysical environment?
The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories: the natural environment and the built environment with some overlap between the two. Following the industrial revolution the built environment has become an increasingly significant part of the Earth’s environment.
What does biophysical environment include?
The biophysical environment includes living things (bio), such as plants and animals, and non-living things (physical), such as rocks, soils and water. The biophysical environment is made up of four parts: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
How much biodiversity is in coral reefs?
25 percent
Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. An estimated 25 percent of all marine life, including over 4,000 species of fish, are dependent on coral reefs at some point in their life cycle.
Why do coral reefs have such high biodiversity?
Answer and Explanation: Coral reefs have high levels of biodiversity because of their abundant microhabitats, high levels of nutrients, and high levels of sunlight and warm… See full answer below.
Why is the Great Barrier Reef important for biodiversity?
Why is biodiversity high in coral reefs?
