BIOLOGY 2F03 Lecture Notes - Fringing Reef, Intertidal Zone, Pelagic Fish
Document Summary
What is an atoll: island typically in the pacific ocean which looks like a ring, in the center is a lake, sometimes it has a connection with the outside ocean. How does an atoll form: possible volcanoes. Volcanoes coral reef forms around the island, form around any shallow shores in warm waters island at some point stops growing: due to extinction of volcano. Eroded island: atoll and lagoon reefs renew themselves forming a protection to the land and prevents erosion, water level provides a confortable source of resources. Life in water: corals and kelps corals: tropics, warm currents, no slit. When the ocean meets the land there is a tide tidal fluctuation produces gradient of environmental conditions within the intertidal zone supertidal fringe: most exposure to atmosphere, least inundation. Gradient of air and sun, gradient of wave energy: rich but difficult zone.
