Coral Reefs and Coral Reef Ecosystems – February & March 2007

Curriculum Guides

• MacGillivray Freeman’s Coral Reef Adventure Teacher’s Guide

    Including:

• Reef Partners Wanted
• Protecting the Reef is More Than Just a Game
• The Silt and Sediment of it All
• Coral Reefs (available in English and Spanish)

Elementary

• Sock Anemone (PDF, 66 KB)
• Spud Sharks (Aquarium of the Pacific) (PDF, 46 KB)

Secondary

• Coral Cores: Ocean Timelines (from Flower Garden Banks NMS) (PDF)

    Background information for Coral Cores:

• “Coral Coring in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary – A Collaborative Effort”, July 2005
• “Ancient Corals May Reveal Future of Stronger Monsoons and Harsher Droughts”, Jan 17 2007
• Cool Corals (from NOAA Ocean Explorer) (PDF)

Related Articles

• Shifting Baselines: Slow-Motion Disaster in the Sea By Randy Olson, modified from original article in LA Times, Nov 2002
• Historical overfishing and the recent collapse of coastal ecosystems By Jeremy B.C. Jackson et al., 2001, Science, V. 293, pg. 629-630
• Coral Bleaching and Disease Deliver “One-Two Punch” to Coral Reefs in the US Virgin Islands, National Park Service, October 2006 (PDF)
• The Dangers of Ocean Acidification By Scott C. Doney, 2006, Scientific American March 2006, pg. 58-65
• Tiny Polyps Gorge Themselves to Survive Coral Bleaching
• Corals’ adaptive response to climate change By Andrew C. Baker, Craig J. Starger, Tim R. McClanahan and Peter W. Glynn. 2004, Nature. V. 430, p 741
• Marine Protected Areas and Reserves are Vital Conservation Tools By Amy M. Amos, 1998, Gulf of Mexico Science, No. 2, pg. 233-234
• Balancing Resource Utilization with Resource Protection: The Flower Garden Banks Marine Sanctuary—A *Success Story By Robert Moran, 1998, Gulf of Mexico Science, No. 2, pg. 234-237

Resources

• Fast Facts (PDF, 61 KB)
• Glossary (PDF, 58 KB)
• Resources List: Websites, Books, Videos (PDF, 96 KB)