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Biomes and Ecosystems Essay
Environmental Science (BIO-220)
Grand Canyon University
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Biome and Ecosystem Essay
Michaela Skeens Grand Canyon University BIO- Professor Kimberly Schulte 26-Jun-
Aquatic Biome and The Great Barrier Reef Ecosystem Biomes are very important for life to grow on Earth because it provides unique necessities to balance through climate and variation. Ecosystems are a smaller type of biomes that contain both living and nonliving things. They are known as biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors are things like plants and animals while abiotic factors are things like temperature and sunlight. Now there are five types of biomes: aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and the tundra (National Geographic Society, 2020). The aquatic biome is split into two categories freshwater and marine (salt water) and the aquatic biome covers around 75% of Earth’s surface. In this essay, I will be talking about the marine biome and the great barrier reef ecosystem.
Life in the Barrier Reef The marine biome takes up around 70% of the whole world and it serves 90% of the world's water supply (Madaan, 2017). It is actually the largest of all the biomes. It covers about three-quarters of the earth. The marine biome creates the perfect ecosystem for the barrier reef. The reef has been compared to the rainforest due to its very large biodiversity and one of the most complex ecosystems on earth. (Coral Reefs, n.). In the aquatic biome, there are different types of keystone species. These are organisms that help define the ecosystem within the reef. Some of these species include the hammerhead shark, the spinner dolphin, the parrot fish, as well as hard and soft coral. Each of these species play a key role in the reef. The spinner dolphin is a nocturnal predator that feeds on small fish and shrimp. It is also considered the most acrobatic dolphin. They find their food in the coral. Many of there prey live in the nooks and crevasses of the coral (Fisheries, 2022). Now we look at some important species living the great barrier reef.
nesting period to keep traffickers away. Along with making sure the reef is cleared of debris that can cause harm (World Wildlife Fund, 2022). These are key things needed to protect these majestic creatures.
Conclusion So, in conclusion it is so very important to not only appreciate the great barrier reef but to also protect it. With such a large diversity in this very large ecosystem it is important to remember that each species serves a purpose. It is up to us to keep the great barrier reef a beauty and thriving ecosystem.
References
Coral Reefs. National Geographic Society. (n.). Retrieved, from education.nationalgeographic/resource/coral-reefs
Fisheries, N. O. A. A. (2022, April 21). Spinner dolphin. NOAA. Retrieved from fisheries.noaa/species/spinner-dolphin#overview
Kids Do Ecology. (2004). World Biomes-Coral Reef. KDE Santa Barbara. Retrieved, from kids.nceas.ucsb/biomes/coralreef.html#animals
Kwai, I. (2018, January 5). A voracious starfish is destroying the Great Barrier Reef. The New York Times. Retrieved from nytimes/2018/01/05/world/australia/starfish- coral-great-barrier-reef
Madaan, S. (2017, July 14). Marine biome: Location, climate, plants, animals and types of marine biomes. Earth Eclipse. Retrieved, from eartheclipse/environment/ecosystem/marine-biome.html
National Geographic Society. (2020). Biome. National Geographic Society. Retrieved from, nationalgeographic/encyclopedia/biome/
Biomes and Ecosystems Essay
Course: Environmental Science (BIO-220)
University: Grand Canyon University
