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Did you know that the Mesoamerican Reef is
over 600 miles long, has more than 500
species of fish and also has more than 60
species of coral.
Location
Topography
Climate
Plants
Animals
Other organisms
Endangered and extinct species
Environmental concerns
Misc.
Conclusion
Review
Extends along the coast of four countries
Mexico, Belize , Guatemala, and Honduras.
 It begins near Isla contoy on the northern tip
of the Yucatan peninsula
 The Mesoamerican Reef is over 600 miles
long
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The topography of this area is very unique,
the fact that it is so close to land lets it mesh
into inshore habitats, creating a mutualistic
relationship
 Really close to the shore only a few
hundred yards away in some places
 But in some places it can be up to 20 miles
off shore
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This picture shows the different elevations
compared to the sea level
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Belize is close to the Mesoamerican Reef and their
climate is described as having only two seasons.
One season is the wet season and the other is the
dry season.
The average yearly temperature is around 86
degrees
http://ambergriscaye.com/art/climate
_graph.gif
Some plants are algae and sea grass
 Most of these plants are located on the
ocean floor
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These are some of the animals native to this
area
 Sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, whale
sharks, bull sharks, seahorses, starfish,
manatees, American crocodiles, and many
different bird species
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The animal I chose was the
Bottlenose Dolphin
 The Bottlenose Dolphins
Have a life span of anywhere
From 45 to 50 years old.
 The feed on mostly krill and
Shrimp
 They live in groups of 5- 10
dolphins called pods
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Some various types of soft coral
 Along with various types of oysters and
sponges in various different hues and many
different types
 Many different types of sea grasses are also
found throughout this reef
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Soft Orange Coral
Sea grass
Tertiary
Consumer
Secondary
Consumer
Primary
Consumer
Producer
Bull Sharks
Bottlenose
Dolphin,
Fish
Sea Turtles,
Seahorses
Krill, crab, Lobster,
Coral
Some critically endangered species are the
saltwater crocodile
 Green Hawksbill, loggerhead sea turtles
 The largest population of manatees in the
western Caribbean
 The largest aggregation of whale sharks in
the world
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People are effecting the region by
snorkeling and scuba diving
 Another thing damaging the coral reefs are
the cruise ships not allowing light to the
coral itself
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Some of the biggest issues would be like the
rising ocean temperatures
 Another issue would have to be the rising
sea levels
 El Nino and Hurricanes along with increased
human development
 Most of the damage has been done by
increased sedimentation and run-off
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The reefs are broken down into smaller
sections and that is when they get their
names
 The reef in Belize is 185 miles long overall
 The Mesoamerican reef is the second
largest in the world
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In conclusion the Mesoamerican Reef is
slowly starting to suffer from the rising sea
levels. It is also starting to suffer from
pollution. The animals that live in this reef
are suffering as well because they are
being hunted and the pollution in the water
is also killing them.
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Name one animal that lives in this
ecosystem?
What type of plant is most commonly found
in this ecosystem?
What are we doing that damages this
ecosystem so much?
How long is the reef in Belize?
What are two natural causes that are
damaging this ecosystem over time?
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_Barrier_Reef_Syst
em
http://www.globalissues.org/news/2012/03/07/12909
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/mesoamerican
-reef/brower-text
http://savefloridareefs.com/Reefpics2/sea_grass.jpg
http://biodiversity.tamu.edu/files/2012/09/North-SoundAntigua-1024x768.jpg
http://www.iwant2go2mexico.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2010/08/reef.jpg
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/centralamerica/
belize/placesweprotect/mesoamerican-reef-1.xml
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/m
exico/placesweprotect/mesoamerican-reef.xml
https://0265446f04custmedia.vresp.com/e1aa3dbced/Mesoamerican%20Reef.
gif
http://ambergriscaye.com/art/climate_graph.gif
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http://awsassets.panda.org/img/wwfca_manaties_
356126.jpg
http://animalstime.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/04/bottlenose-dolphinfacts.jpg