A Quiz For Everyone!(1st part)

How much do you know about marine life?Answer this quiz and you will know how much you know about marine life!
1. When do most coral polyps feed?

1)They don't feed.
2)Any time during the day.
3)At night.
4)At 12 o'clock.

2. Why is black coral valuable to humans?

1)It is edible.
2)It contains an antioxidant that is sold in many parts of Asia.
3)It can be cut and polished and made into jewellery.
4)It can be used as a paint.
3. How many rows of teeth does a Whale shark have?

1)About 60
2)About 400
3)About 100
4)About 1000
4. Up to how long can a Whale shark grow?

1)30 metres
2)4 metres
3)12 metres
4)50 metres
5. Around how many species of sea sponge have been recorded by scientists?

1)Around 1000
2)Around 8000
3)Around 100
4)Around 25000


This is only the 1st part.The answers and ratings will be in the 2nd part.So stay tuned on the blog.Bye!

~Marine Lovers~

Check It Out!

Dear Marine Visitors,

Do visit this website. It has many fun underwater quizzes, games, stories and many more!

http://www.quizilla.com/tags/underwater

~Marine Trio'

More facts about coral reefs

Hi! Today,let us tell you how important the coral reefs are in the sea and how they become a reef.

The coral reefs make the amazing underworld park. Did you know that some fishes make the coral reefs their permanent home and never leave them? Some fishes live in the holes or cracks amongst the coral reef and some fishes hide in them too! Other than fishes, crustaceans, sea urchins and molluscs, other marine creatures also make the coral reefs their home.

The coral reefs are hard skeleton of dead coral polyps that used to live in groups called colonies. So,the coral reefs are built up by many coral polyps over a long period of time. The reefs are an accumulation of skeletons made up of carbonate of lime from dead polyps.

It begins with the formation of corals around the crater of a volcano until a circle of reefs or an atoll develops.then,the volcanic island is eroded away by the waves.It becomes smaller and eventually sinks into the sea leaving the atoll on the surface of the sea.

A fringing reef grows and becomes a barrier reef.New coral continues to grow on the old coral reefs.

The barrier reef continues to grow over the submerged island forming an atoll.

Not all oceans have coral reefs. Coral polyps are able to survive only in shallow tropical reefs. They need sufficient sunlight and water with a temperature not less than 18 Degree Celsius. The biggest coral reef in the world is the Great Barrier Reef along the northeast coast of Australia is the longest coral reef in the world. It is more than 2000km long.

We hope you have learned more about coral reefs.Bye for now!


~Marine Trio`

Sharks

Hello marine lovers! In this post, you will find out more about sharks, and please do not be afraid when you read this! Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits. Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protect their skin from damage and parasites and improve fluid dynamics, and they also have replaceable teeth. Sharks range in size from the small dwarf lanternshark, Etmopterus perryi, a deep sea species of only 17 centimetres in length, to the whale shark, Rhincodon typus, the largest fish, which grows to a length of approximately 12 metres 39 ft and which, like baleen whales, feeds only on plankton, squid, and small fish through filter feeding. The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, is the best known of several species to swim in both salt, freshwater and in deltas.Most sharks live for 20 to 30 years, while the spiny dogfish and the whale shark lives a record lifespan of more than 100 years. Until the 16th century, sharks were known to mariners as "sea dogs". According to the OED the name "shark" first came into use after Sir John Hawkins' sailors exhibited one in London in 1569 and used the word to refer to the large sharks of the Caribbean Sea, and later as a general term for all sharks. Evidence for the existence of sharks extends back over 450–420 million years, into the Ordovician period, before land vertebrates existed and before many plants had colonised the continents. All that has been recovered from the first sharks are some scales. The oldest shark teeth are from 400 million years ago. The first sharks looked very different from modern sharks. The majority of the modern sharks can be traced back to around 100 million years ago!
Mostly only the fossilized teeth of sharks are found, although often in large numbers. In some cases pieces of the internal skeleton or even complete fossilized sharks have been discovered. Estimates suggest that over a span of a few years a shark may grow tens of thousands of teeth, which explains the abundance of fossils. As the teeth consist of calcium phosphate, an apatite, they are easily fossilized.
Instead of bones, sharks have cartilagenous skeletons, with a bone-like layer broken up into thousands of isolated apatite prisms. When a shark dies, the decomposing skeleton breaks up and the apatite prisms scatter. Complete shark skeletons are only preserved when rapid burial in bottom sediments occurs.
Among the most ancient and primitive sharks is Cladoselache, from about 370 million years ago, which has been found within the Paleozoic strata of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. At this point in the Earth's history these rocks made up the soft sediment of the bottom of a large, shallow ocean, which stretched across much of North America. Cladoselache was only about 1 m long with stiff triangular fins and slender jaws. Its teeth had several pointed cusps, which would have been worn down by use. From the number of teeth found in any one place it is most likely that Cladoselache did not replace its teeth as regularly as modern sharks. Its caudal fins had a similar shape to the great white sharks and the pelagic shortfin and longfin makos. The discovery of whole fish found tail first in their stomachs suggest that they were fast swimmers with great agility.
From about 300 to 150 million years ago, most fossil sharks can be assigned to one of two groups. One of these, the Acanthodii, was almost exclusive to freshwater environments. By the time this group became extinct. About 220 million years ago, they had achieved worldwide distribution. The other group, the hybodonts, appeared about 320 million years ago and was mostly found in the oceans, but also in freshwater.
Modern sharks began to appear about 100 million years ago. Fossil mackerel shark teeth occurred in the Lower Cretaceous. One of the most recent families of sharks that evolved is the hammerhead sharks (family Sphyrnidae), which emerged in Eocene. The oldest white shark teeth date from 60 to 65 million years ago, around the time of the extinction of the dinosaurs. In early white shark evolution there are at least two lineages: one with coarsely serrated teeth that probably gave rise to the modern great white shark, and another with finely serrated teeth and a tendency to attain gigantic proportions. This group includes the extinct Megalodon, Carcharodon megalodon, which like most extinct sharks is only known from its teeth and a few vertebrae. This shark could grow to more than 16 metres long and is recognized as the biggest known carnivorous fish to have ever existed. Fossil records reveal that this shark preyed upon whales and other large marine mammals.
It is believed that the immense size of predatory sharks such as the great white may have arisen from the extinction of giant marine reptiles, such as the mosasaurs and the diversification of mammals. It is known that at the same time these sharks were evolving some early mammalian groups evolved into aquatic forms. Certainly, wherever the teeth of large sharks have been found, there has also been an abundance of marine mammal bones, including seals, porpoises and whales. These bones frequently show signs of shark attack. There are hypotheses that suggest that large sharks evolved to better take advantage of larger prey. Studies on the behaviour of sharks have only recently been carried out leading to little information on the subject, although this is changing. The classic view of the shark is that of a solitary hunter, ranging the oceans in search of food; however, this is only true for a few species, with most living far more sedentary, benthic lives. Even solitary sharks meet for breeding or on rich hunting grounds, which may lead them to cover thousands of miles in a year. Migration patterns in sharks may be even more complex than in birds, with many sharks covering entire ocean basins.
Some sharks can be highly social, remaining in large schools, sometimes up to over 100individuals of scalloped hammerheads congregating around seamounts and islands e.g. in the Gulf of California. Cross-species social hierarchies exist with oceanic whitetip sharks dominating silky sharks of comparable size when feeding.
When approached too closely some sharks will perform a threat display to warn off the prospective predators. This usually consists of exaggerated swimming movements, and can vary in intensity according to the level of threat. So as you see marine lovers, you might notice that I have posted mostly about marine animals, because I truly, truly hope that we, as people, will feel like we have a duty to treat them well. So long!
~~~~~~Megan~~~~~~

Octopus

Octopuses are characterized by their eight arms (as distinct from the tentacles found in squid and cuttlefish), usually bearing suction cups. These arms are a type of muscular hydrostat. Unlike most other cephalopods, the majority of octopuses, those in the suborder most commonly known, Incirrina — have almost entirely soft bodies with no internal skeleton. They have do not have a protective outer shell like the nautilus, or any vestige of an internal shell or bones, like cuttlefish or squid. A beak, similar in shape to a parrot's beak, is the only hard part of their body. This enables them to squeeze through very narrow slits between underwater rocks, which is very helpful when they are fleeing from morays or other predatory fish. The octopuses in the less familiar Cirrina suborder have two fins and an internal shell, generally reducing their ability to squeeze into small spaces.
Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy, and some species live for as little as six months. Larger species, such as the North Pacific Giant Octopus, may live for up to five years under suitable circumstances. However, reproduction is a cause of death: males can only live for a few months after mating, and females die shortly after their eggs hatch. They neglect to eat during the one month period spent taking care of their unhatched eggs, but they don't die of starvation. Endocrine secretions from the two optic glands are the cause of genetically-programmed death, and if these glands are surgically removed, the octopus may live many months beyond reproduction, until she finally starves.
Octopuses have three hearts. Two pump blood through each of the two gills, while the third pumps blood through the body. Octopus blood contains the copper-rich protein hemocyanin for transporting oxygen. Although less efficient under normal conditions than the iron-rich hemoglobin of vertebrates, in cold conditions with low oxygen pressure, hemocyanin oxygen transportation is more efficient than hemoglobin oxygen transportation. The hemocyanin is dissolved in the plasma instead of being bound in red blood cells and gives the blood a blue color. Octopuses draw water into their mantle cavity where it passes through its gills. As mollusks, octopuses have gills that are finely divided and vascularized outgrowths of either the outer or the inner body surface.
Octopuses are highly intelligent, probably more intelligent than any other order of invertebrates. The exact extent of their intelligence and learning capability is much debated among biologists, but maze and problem-solving experiments have shown that they do have both short and long-term memory. Their short lifespans limit the amount they can learn. There has been much speculation to the effect that almost all octopus behaviors are independently learned rather than instinct-based, although this remains largely unproven. They learn almost no behaviors from their parents, with whom young octopuses have very little contact.
An octopus has a highly complex nervous system, only part of which is localized in its brain. Two-thirds of an octopus's neurons are found in the nerve cords of its arms, which have a remarkable amount of autonomy. Octopus arms show a wide variety of complex reflex actions arising on at least three different levels of the nervous system. Some octopuses, such as the Mimic Octopus, will move their arms in ways that emulate the movements of other sea creatures.
In laboratory experiments, octopuses can be readily trained to distinguish between different shapes and patterns. They have been reported to practice observational learning, although the validity of these findings is widely contested on a number of grounds. Octopuses have also been observed in what some have described as play- repeatedly releasing bottles or toys into a circular current in their aquariums and then catching them. Octopuses often break out of their aquariums and sometimes into others in search of food. They have even boarded fishing boats and opened holds to eat crabs.
In some countries, octopuses are on the list of experimental animals on which surgery may not be performed without anesthesia. In the UK, cephalopods such as octopuses are regarded as honorary vertebrates under the Animals Act 1986 and other cruelty to animals legislation, extending to them protections not normally afforded to invertebrates.
A common belief is that when stressed, an octopus may begin to eat its own arms. However, limited research conducted in this area has revealed that the cause of this strange behavior, may be a virus that attacks the octopus's nervous system. This behavior may be more correctly labeled as a neurological disorder.
Three defensive mechanisms are typical of octopuses: ink sacs, camouflage, and autotomising limbs.
This small octopus species will travel with shells that it has collected for protection.Most octopuses can eject a thick blackish ink in a large cloud to aid in escaping from predators. The main colouring agent of the ink is melanin, which is the same chemical that gives humans their hair and skin colour. This ink cloud dulls smell, which is particularly useful for evading predators that are dependent on smell for hunting, such as sharks.
An octopus's camouflage is by certain specialized skin cells which can change the apparent color, opacity, and reflectiveness of the epidermis. Chromatophores contain yellow, orange, red, brown, or black pigments; most species have three of these colors, while some have two or four. Other colour-changing cells are reflective iridophores, and leucophores (white). This colour-changing ability can also be used to communicate with or warn other octopuses. The very venomous blue-ringed octopus becomes bright yellow with blue rings when it is provoked.
When under attack, some octopuses can detach their own limbs, in a similar manner to the way skinks and other lizards detach their tails. The crawling arm serves as a distraction to would-be predators. This ability is also used in mating.
A few species, such as the Mimic Octopus, have a fourth defense mechanism. They can combine their highly flexible bodies with their colour changing ability to (accurately) mimic other, more dangerous animals such as lionfish, sea snakes and eels. They have also been observed changing the texture of their mantle in order to achieve a greater camouflage. The mantle can take on the spiky appearance of seaweed, or the scraggly, bumpy texture of a rock, among other disguises.S, marine lovers, this is just another brief description about marine animals. See you next time!
~~~~~~Megan~~~~~~

Crabs

Crabs are 10-legged animals that walk sideways. There are almost 5,000 different species of crabs; about 4,500 are true crabs, plus about 500 are hermit crabs (hermit crabs don't have a very hard shell and use other animals' old shells for protection). Most crabs live in the oceans, but many, like the robber crab, live on land.
The Biggest Crabs: The biggest crab is the Japanese Spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi), which lives on the floor of the north Pacific Ocean; it has a 12 ft leg span. The biggest land crab is the Coconut crab ,which lives on islands in the Pacific Ocean. It has a leg span up to 2.5 ft.
Many crabs are omnivores,others are carnivores,and some are herbivores.
Crabs are invertebrates, animals without a backbone. They have an exoskeleton (also called a carapace), an outer shell that both protects them from predators and provides support. These crustaceans have ten jointed legs, two of which have large, grasping claws (called pincers or chelipeds). They have a flattened body, two feelers,and two eyes located at the ends of stalks.
Marine crabs breathe underwater using gills, which are located in a two cavities under the carapace. True land crabs have enlarged, modified cavities that act like lungs so that the land crabs can breathe air.
The earliest unambiguous crab fossils date from the Jurassic, although the Carboniferous Imocaris, known only from its carapace is thought to be a primitive crab. The radiation of crabs in the Cretaceous and afterwards may be linked either to the break-up of Gondwana or to the concurrent radiation of bony fish, the main predators of crabs.
About 850 species of crab are freshwater or (semi-)terrestrial species; they are found throughout the world's tropical and semi-tropical regions. They were previously thought to be a closely related group, but are now believed to represent at least two distinct lineages, one in the Old World and one in the New World. Well, this is all I can tell you about crabs, marine-lovers. See you in the next poest!
~~~~~~Megan~~~~~~

A Uniquely Interesting Marine Creature...

Dear Marine Visitors,

Today, you are about to read about the most mysterious, unique, and Hard-To-Believe Marine Creature. Guess what it is.

If you guessed the Loch ness Monster, then you are right!

The Loch ness Monster is an alleged animal, identified neither as to a family or species, purpotedly inhabating Scotland's Loch Ness. The Loch Ness Monster is one of the best-known cryptids studied by cryptozoology. Popular belief and interest in the animal has fluctuated over the years since it came to the world's attention in 1933.

Evidence of it's existence is largely anecdotal, with minimal, and much disputed, photographic material and sonar readings: there has not been any physical evidence(skeletal remainings, capture of a live animal, definitive tissue samples or spoor) uncovered as of 2008. Local people, and later many around the world, have affectionately referred to the animal by the diminutive Nessie since the 1950s.

For many years, scientists have been trying to uncover the secrets of this mysterious creature.

For More information, visit :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster

Sincerely,
~Gina~

How to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment (part 4)

Hi to the readers of this post!Today will be the final part for 'How to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment'.Hope you enjoyed all the 4 parts that I have stated.

7.Plant a tree:Trees reduce runoff into the oceans. You will also contribute to reversing the warming of our planet,the rising temperatures of our oceans and making the world a more beautiful place for all.

8.Support reef-friendly businesses:Ask the fishing, boating, hotel, aquarium, dive or snorkeling operators how they protect the reef. Be sure they care for the living reef ecosystem and ask if the organization responsible is part of a coral reef ecosystem management effort.By asking them for more information,you can use the information they give you to do something for the coral reefs and sea creatures.

So after reading all of the parts,be sure to do your part in how to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment today!

~Belinda~

How to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment (part 3)

Hi to all readers reading this post.This is Belinda Boo.Today,I will state part 3 on how to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment.Please try to do at least 1 of the things stated in the 3 parts that I have stated.Remember,there are sill 1 more part to go!

5)When you go scuba-diving to see the sea creatures and coral reefs,please do not reef or anchor your boat on the coral reefs.They are living things and might get injured or maybe get killed!So,please do not reef or anchor your boat on the coral reefs.

6)By eating the right fish or not eating any fish,you can help keep some endangered fish have more species and it will not be endangered anymore although you can still eat a little fish!

Try doing this little things and if 75% of the world would do this little things,the sea will be a better place for the sea creatures and coral reefs to live in!So,do your part in saving the marine life!

~~~~~~Belinda Boo~~~~~~

How to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment(part 2)

Hi!Today,I'm going to tell you how to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment(part 2).Please read and try to follow all these parts which can really help to save the sea's environment.

3)Use only ecological or organic fertilizers.Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products flow into the water system, pollute the ocean, and can harm coral reefs and marine life.Or,you can use animal's motion as fertilizers.

4)Dispose all of your trash properly.Don't leave unwanted fishing lines or nets in the water or on the beach. Any kind of litter pollutes the water and can harm the reef and the fish.If you leave the fishing lines or nets in the water,the fish might be attracted to it and may be stuck to it,it might even die of famine.And by leaving fishing lines or nets on the beach might even pollute the world's environment.

So,remember to to use ecological,organic fertilizers or even animal's motion to fertilize your plants and not to leave fishing lines or nets on the beach and water will help to save the sea creatures and the world's environment!

~Belinda~

Litter

Hi again! This post would be telling you more about litter. The threat by marine litter is a very simple one that is often overlooked. Many concerns about marine litter have been largely aesthetic. However, the issue of marine litter is serious and is life threatening to Hebridean cetaceans and other marine life.Threats posed by seaborne debris are mechanical in nature when cetaceans become entangled or ingest debris.
Many animals can become ensnared by litter. The litter can become embedded in the flesh as tissue grows around it. For instance,getting trapped in discarded fishing nets is a major threat. Photographs taken by SeaLife Surveys and HWDT have shown that a number of whales have been found to have creel lines and plastic straps wrapped around their rostrums. One was observed with fishing net trapped over its whole head. Such entanglement can impair an animal’s ability to swim, breathe and find food. Between the years 1992 and 2000, 15 out of the 70 minke whales stranded in Scotland died due to entanglement. Entanglement may also cause injury and wounds as the animal tries to disentangle itself from netting or ropes, which can also subsequently lead to infections. We can help to reduce marine litter by throwing our stuff into the litter bin, instead of throwing it into sea. These little things that we can do will help to save marine life.
~~~~~~Megan~~~~~~

Dolphins

Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely realted to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphins in the world in the seventeen generation!They can be from 1.2 metres (which is 4 ft) and 40 kilograms up to 9.5 metres(which is 30 ft!)and 10 tonnes. They are found worldwide, usually in shallow seas. They are also carnivores,mostly eating fish and squid. Dolphins are considered the most intelligent animal and their often playful and friendly appearance have made them popular in human culture.
Dolphins can see in both land and sea,and their sense of hearing is superior to that of humans.They have also been known to seemingly protect swimmers from sharks by swimming circles around the swimmers or charging the sharks to make them go away.Dolphins also show cultural behaviour, something long believed to be a quality unique to humans.
Dolphins have few natural enemies, some species or specific populations having none at all making them apex predators. For most smaller species of dolphins, only a few larger species of sharks such as the bull shark, dusky shark, tiger shark and great white shark are potential risks, especially for calves. Some of the larger dolphin species such as Orcas may also prey on some of the smaller dolphin species, but this is rare. Dolphins may also suffer from a great variety of diseases and parasites. Thats why, marine lovers, appreciate our marine animals when we can!:)
~~~~~~Megan~~~~~~

Pollution

Dear Marine Visitors,

This week's theme is on Pollution.


What is Pollution?

Well, Pollution is the act of dirtying something. Some examples are :

Pollution of Water, Pollution of Air, etc.

Pollution is one of the harmful acts done by us. Pollution causes hurt to Marine Life.

How does Pollution cause harm? What does Pollution do to Marine Life? How does Pollution take place?

Well, Pollution is done mainly because of litter. Some litter-bugs, instead of throwing litter into the correct place, just either throw it onto the floor or throw it into the water. Throwing litter into the water, is not only inconsiderate, but is also polluting the water. Whereas throwing litter on the floor, pollutes the air.

Once we throw litter into the water, we tend carry on littering the water and soon, the water becomes polluted.

Pollution causes the water to be really dirty. But when we throw litter into the water, we neglect the fact that there are creatures living in the water , fighting for their lives, having to live with the fact that we, as humans, in a way, ignore them and pollute their living enviroment.

We, as humans, also dislike our own living enviroment to be polluted(eg. air). Does that mean that Marine Creatures have to bear the fault of our air being polluted? Does that mean that we take it out on Marine Creatures by polluting THEIR living enviroment? Our living behavior is the cause of Pollution. The Marine Creatures have nothing to do with it. Do not take it out on them. Do not blame them for Pollution. Do not pollute their living enviroment. In short, here is a saying :

Do Unto Others, What You Want Others To Do Unto You.

~Gina~

A Brief Marine Content

Dear Marine Visitors,


Here is a summary. A summary of the contents going to be on our Marine Lovers Blog.

* Extinction

* Pollution

* Fishing

* Our Harmful Actions

and last but not least,

* What Can We Do? How Can We Help?

~Marine Trio~

House Rules!

Okay, time for some house rules!

1: Never, never, never, spam our blog.

2: Never, never, never, tag vulgarities.

3: Never, never, never, talk bad about Marine Life.

and last but not least,

4: Never, never, never, leave without tagging a warm goodbye!


~Marine Trio~

Some facts about coral reefs

The world's first coral reefs occurred about 500 million years ago, and the first closeAerial Picture of a coral reef relatives of modern corals developed in southern Europe about 230 million years ago. By comparison, the Great Barrier Reef is relatively young at just 500,000 years old. The current reef's structure is much younger at less than around 8,000 years old.

Most modern reefs have formed on hard surfaces in the ocean, such as a base of an old reef that died during a period when sea level was lower, or the edge of a rocky island. Depending on how they start out, several types of reefs can form. Some coral reefs form in the deep ocean and are called atolls. The theories on how coral reefs form were first put forward by Charles Darwin (of The Origin of Species fame) who proposed that atolls form around the edges of high volcanic islands that gradually submerge beneath the sea with changes in sea level or subsidence of the land. Thus an atoll starts life as a fringing reef, then becomes more of a ring growing on the shrinking land-mass, until the land disappears and just the coral circle remains. In some cases, the coral growth is unable to keep pace with the sinking island, and sunken dead reefs have been found.


Class: Anthozoa [includes corals, anemones and sea pens]

Habitat: Coral reefs are found in shallow water, ranging to depths of 60 m. Some species prefer either cooler temperate water while others are found along tropical reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef, with waters ranging in temperatures from 18 - 33 °C.
Living in colonies: They generally occur in large numbers as colonies of individual polyps linked by tissue. Resources, such as food, are then shared amongst the individuals in the colony.

Coral Size: Individual polyps range from 3 - 56 mm in diameter or height; while colony size varies from 75 mm -1500 mm (1.5 m) in width, height or length.

Some corals have a mutualistic relationship with algae called zooxanthellae. A mutualistic relationship is one where both parties benefit from their partnership. The algae use sunlight and the polyp’s waste products to make oxygen and food. These substances leak into the surrounding tissues of the polyp and can provide up to 98% of the polyp’s dietary requirements. These corals are found in shallow water, as they require sunlight to survive. They are generally fawn, brown or green in colour, due to the yellow-brown colour of the zooxanthellae.


Stinging cells: All Cnidarians have characteristic stinging cells called nematocysts in the tentacles and body wall. Each nematocyst cell contains a coiled thread under pressure, which is ejected from the cell when triggered by touch. These stinging cells are used for catching prey and for defense, some having barbed ends connected to poison sacs, while others are sticky.


Summary:

Coral polyps: Coral reefs consist of hundreds and thousands of soft-bodied, invertebrate animals, having no backbone. These animals are called coral polyps. The individual polyp is radially symmetrical and has a tubular body with tentacles surrounding the mouth at the upper end. Each polyp’s body wall consists of two layers of cells, an outer layer called the ectoderm and an inner endoderm layer. A gelatinous material called mesogloea is found in between these two layers.


Hard corals: Hard corals build reefs by growing atop the stony skeletons of previous coral colonies. They consist of limestone cases made by coral polyps extracting calcium from seawater. These limestone cases form a ‘house’ for the coral polyp, consisting of a floor, outer walls and a number of internal partitions. Inside corals’ clear outer tissues live microscopic algae, which transform sunlight into sugars through Photosynthesis The hosts help themselves to some of the sugars and gain some colour through the process.


Reproduction: Corals reproduce in two ways: asexually and sexually. Coral Spawning Some corals divide to form new individuals. This is known as asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction takes place as mass spawning, where polyps release millions of eggs and sperm. Polyps are either male or female or both male and female. After the eggs and sperm are released, they float to the surface. The fertilised eggs that escape predation by other animals hatch into larvae and drift with the plankton. The tiny percent that survive and settle on the reef then begin new coral colonies.





Major Natural Predator:

The Crown-of-Thorns Seastar was once an animal of great controversy causing terrible damage to the coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. Many believed that this seastar was a pest species invading the coral reef habitat predating on and killing corals in great numbers. Research has indicated that the Crown-of-Thorns Seastar is only found in this habitat Picture of Crown of Thorns Starfish and a native species to Australian waters. The role that the sea star plays by eating coral polyps forms a population control, making more room for new coral reefs to form. Plague proportions are thought to coincide with rainfall and increases in nutrients from rivers during floods, and often occur cyclically every 17 years. Further scientific studies are still in progress to determine whether these plaques can be controlled.

Scuba diving & snorkeling is the most sought after outing onto the reef. With so much to see like ship wrecks, coral gardens, the thousands of species of marine animals and under water canyons. Cairns has many qualified scuba diving courses available and are amongst the safest in the world, with strict guidelines that trainers must follow. You can easily become a certified scuba diver and enjoy all the underwater attractions that the reef has to offer.

Today,the coral reefs is still 1 of the many great attraction and is even called the 'rain forest of the sea'in the sea.Many people learn scuba-diving to see the beautiful sea and sea creatures.So if you want to see the beautiful coral reefs,learn scuba diving and go under the sea!

~Belinda~

About Us, The Marine Trio

Hi Marine Lovers! We are the Marine Trio. Our names are Belinda Boo, Gina Koh and Megan Wee. We are from Primary 4 Joy. Our school is CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity. Our form teacher's name is Mrs Tan Koi Har. We love Marine Life and we are confident that we will touch your hearts and change your opinions about Marine Life. So come on! Be a Marine Saver and do a good deed today!!!


~Your Marine Lovers~

How to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment(part 1)

Hi everybody! Today,let me tell you more about how to save coral reefs. I will list 2 ways of saving the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment.

1.You can conserve water. The less waste water you use,the less waste water will pollute our sea.

2.Reduce pollution by taking the bus,bike,train or best,walk! Fossil fuel emissions from cars and industry raise lead to ocean warming which causes mass-bleaching of corals and can lead to widespread destruction of reefs.

So, if you do the four better transport, it will reduce fuel and it will make the ocean environment a cleaner place for coral reefs and other sea creatures.

This are only 2 things out of 8 things of how to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment. So, check out on other things on how to save the coral reefs and other sea creatures environment. Oh,and there is a website.Here is the web address:http://www.reefcheck.org

~Belinda~

GuideLines For Beginners

Hi Marine Savers! This post is intended for beginners of Marine and Coral Reefs Savers. Today, I will post some guidelines and how we can all help to save Marine Life. But before that, I think that it is important to focus on this week's theme:

Stop Harmful Attemps To Extinct Marine Lives

Like I said yesterday, our Marine Lives are facing the threats. Extinction would be one of them. Many Marine creatures are close to extinction. And why, you ask. I shall tell you why.

The main reason is US. Yes. You, me, everybody!
We are taking away precious Marine Lives. And food is a perfect reason.

Shark Fin, being and extinguish and treasured food around the world, is a perfect example of food that takes away the lives of some Sharks.

Shark Fin, being not only extinguish and treasured, is also usually rare and expensive in certain countries. And why is that so? It is because Sharks, currently are very close to extinction. In order to get Sharks Fin, people catch Sharks often and cut off their fins. Being finless, it is very hard for them to move around and get food. Thus, they starve and eventually die of hunger. And even if they live, they will die of hunger sooner or later! That is because the fins of a Shark do not grow back.

Everyweek, we will post four facts about coral reefs, why they are in danger, and how to be a Marine Saver and Lover. Do your part in saving Marine Life. Have A Heart!!!

~Gina~

Hi Marine Lovers

This blog was created by us, the Marine Trio. We understand the importance of Marine Life and we can always do our part to protect it. This blog was created with the intention to spread the message that all Marine Lovers are spreading:

Protect Marine Lifes! Stop Threatening Marine Creatures! Love Marine Life Like You Love Yourself! Do A Good Deed Today. SAVE MARINE LIFE!!!