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Coral and Sponges of Cozumel
Brain Coral
Brain Coral is a common name given to several genera of coral. These corals are characterized by the spheroid shape of their colonies and by the grooves and channels on their surface, which resemble the folds on the surface of the human brain. Brain coral is in the taxonomic family Faviidae, but not every genus is brain-shaped.
Brain corals are found in warm-water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. They are in a class called "sea flowers," known as Anthozoa or Phylum Cnidaria.
The lifespan of the largest brain corals is 200 years.
WHIP CORAL (Eptogorgia Virgulata)
Whip coral has slender, whip-like branches that vary in color from deep purple to yellowish-tan. The long branches are covered in coral polyps, like tiny white dots against the coral's skeleton.
Whip Coral can grow about three feet tall on rocks, reefs, pilings, and other hard surfaces.
Whip corals are suspension feeders. Each polyp covering the coral's skeleton has eight feathery, saw-toothed tentacles that periodically emerge to sweep plankton and tiny particles into the coral's body.
STAR CORAL(Galaxea fascicularis)
Star coral is a hard coral species with a stone-like calcium skeleton. Small, oval stubs rise from the yellowish-tan central core, each containing a delicate star-shaped polyp. Star Coral is commonly found throughout the Caribbean and the West Indies and usually grows to about 12 inches in height.
ELKHORN CORAL
Elkhorn Coral is a large, branching shallow water coral with thick, sturdy antler-like branches. Colonies are fast-growing: branches increased by 2-4 inches (5-10cm) per year, with colonies reaching their maximum size in approximately 10 to 12 years.
YELLOW TUBE SPONGES (Aplysina Fistularia)
The yellow tube sponge displays one of the many different body forms typical of sponges. Sponges, considered the most primitive of the multi-cellular animals, are represented in the fossil record of the Cambrian Period, at least 600 million years ago. The interior body cavities
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Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs are the most biologically diverse marine ecosystem, rivaled only by tropical rainforests on land. Corals have grown over geologic time and have existed for nearly 200 million years. They reached their current level of diversity 50 million years ago.
The delicately balanced marine environment of the coral reefs relies on the interaction of hard and soft corals, sponges, anemones, snails, rays, crabs, lobsters, turtles, dolphins, and other sea life.
A coral reef comprises thin plates or layers of calcium carbonate secreted over thousands of years by billions of tiny soft-bodied animals called coral polyps. It takes years for some corals to grow an inch, ranging in size from a pinhead to a foot in length. Each polyp secretes a calcareous exoskeleton and lives in a symbiotic relationship with a host alga, zooxanthellae, which gives the coral its color.
Zooxanthellae take in carbon dioxide, process it through photosynthesis, and then give off oxygen as a by-product used by the host polyp. A million polyps are grown on top of the limestone remains of former colonies to create the massive reefs, yet these tiny animals form the only natural formation.
Corals are divided into two types, and both are stationary on the ocean floor. Hard corals such as the brain, star, staghorn, elkhorn, and pillar corals have rigid exoskeletons, or Corallites, that protect their soft, delicate bodies.
Gorgonians, or soft corals like sea fans, sea whips, and sea rods, sway with the currents and lack an exoskeleton.
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| World Coral Exhibit |
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| World Coral Exhibit |
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| World Coral Exhibit |
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| World Coral Exhibit |
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The Cozumel Reef System
The Great Maya Barrier Reef, also known as the Mesoamerican Reef, extends from the Northern Yucatan to Honduras and is actually the second-largest barrier reef system in the world. The 32-km (20-mile) long reef system in Cozumel is located just off the southern Leeward coast. Over the years, the Yucatan Current has carved an extensive labyrinth unparalleled by any other reef in the Caribbean.
In 1961, the famous oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau came to Cozumel with his crew on the Calypso to film a documentary. Since the film's first airing, Cozumel has consistently been on top of many diving lists as a diver's destination.
Through a guided tour of Cozumel's rich underwater topography, it is standard to see vast coral heads, brilliant sponges, hundreds of tropical fish, rich ecosystems, and steep walls that sink into the abyss. Tunnels and caves twist through the reef, providing a rich environment for many species.
Most of the diving sites in Cozumel are located within the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, a protected underwater environment covering 29,000 + acres. A voluntary $2.00 US donation/fee from divers was implemented to fund the conservation.
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Threats to Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are one of our threatened marine ecosystems
Scientists estimate that unless we take immediate action, we could lose up to 70 percent of the world's coral reefs by 2050.
Nature's Threats: Storms and Predators
Reefs are frequently disturbed by natural events. Hurricanes and tropical storms can reduce reefs to rubble. Black band disease spreads over colonies, progressively killing the polyps and often affecting corals. In the Indo-Pacific, the Crown-of-thorns Starfish feeds voraciously on coral and, if present in large numbers, can reduce a reef to an amass of dead coral skeletons in just a few weeks.
Greenhouse Threats
Global climate change, or the enhanced greenhouse effect, may cause increases in sea temperature and sea level and changes in the oceans' current patterns, which could damage coral reefs. Corals are susceptible to changes in temperature. Seawater that becomes too warm causes coral to turn white or bleach, a reaction that occurs if coral polyps are stressed. Often, they recover, but they are also known to die.
If the oceans warm due to global climate change, corals may have increasing difficulty recovering from bleaching episodes.
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Cozumel Coral Reef
Although there are more than 30 chartered reefs and countless sites to choose from, Cozumel's coral reefs can be divided into 3 types.
On vertical walls like Palancar Reef and Santa Rosa, with depths from 40 to 130 feet, you'll find gorgonian and plate coral, enormous colorful sponges, and a splendid assortment of reef and pelagic species. Jacques Cousteau made the Palancar Reef famous, making Cozumel one of the most known diving spots in the world.
Pinnacles like Punta Sur and Palancar Horseshoe, with depths from 40-70 feet, are maze-like structures with tall, statuesque pinnacles and wide coral shelves. Here, you can swim through tunnels, in and out of caves, and between dramatic towering coral.
For less experienced divers or snorkelers, coral gardens make exciting first experiences. These 20-40 foot deep coral patches don't have the lushness of sponge and coral life found further from shore. However, they are one of the best places to dive or snorkel and experience the rich abundance of fish life that flourishes in these lush waters. The Tormentors Reef has been known to have explosives of colorful sponges and gorgonians.
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Ecosystem Importance
Vast numbers of species inhabit coral reefs, making them second only to rainforests in species riches. This extensive diversity results from all of its inhabitants carefully sharing the reef. More fish species are found on reefs than anywhere else in the sea, ranging from large sharks to tiny gobies. It is believed that about 90% of all species are small invertebrates yet to be discovered. These, like many of the tiny mollusks and crustaceans that are already known, will never be seen by divers and snorkelers as they are animals that live in crackers and crevices. They are equivalent to the insects of tropical rainforests. Southeast Asia has the most incredible diversity of reef plants and animals, ranging from the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Here, a single reef may have over 3,000 different types of plants and animals. Diversity is lower in the Caribbean as a result of the geological history of this region, but up to a thousand species may still inhabit the rich reefs.
Coral reefs are a vital part of an ecosystem. They represent the skeletons of algae and corals solidified into calcium carbonate. Depending on their relationship to the shore, there are several different types of reefs, including an apron, fringing, table, and barrier. Regarding the ecosystem, coral reefs support considerable sea life by recycling nutrients in nutrient-low parts of the ocean, providing life and health for the surrounding sea life, and feeding off it to produce new reef formations. These also represent home to various tropical fish and other sea organisms, such as lobsters and sea turtles. Pollution and the live food fish trade have developed into serious threats to the delicate ecosystem balance that the coral reef inhabits. For example, if a forest is destroyed during coastal construction, the run-off of nutrients can saturate the waters and suffocate organisms adapting to a low-nutrient environment. Similarly, excessive fishing, most notably using cyanide, destroys the structure of the reef and the organisms it depends on to sustain itself.
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Life of Coral Reefs
Coral reefs depend upon mangroves and seagrass for survival. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees with submerged roots that are a nursery and breeding ground for birds and most of the marine life that migrates to the reef. Mangroves trap and produce nutrients for food and habitat, stabilize the shoreline and filter pollutants from the land base. Seagrasses flower marine plants that are an essential part of the food web. They provide food and habitat for turtles, manatees, fish, filter-feeding organisms, and foraging sea life, such as sea urchins and sea cumbers. Seagrass is a nursery for pink shrimp, lobster, snapper, and other sea life.
They filter the water of sediments, release oxygen, and stabilize the base.
As many as 250 different species of fish can be seen in Cozumel's waters; one of the most spectacular is the Queen Angelfish, which possesses bright blue-and-yellow markings and a distinctive blue "crown" on the top of the head. The Splendid Toadfish is found only in Cozumel. Making its home in the holes along the reef, this fish grows from 12 to 16 inches in length.
Besides the Splendid Toadfish, some of the most beautiful and colorful tropical fish can be found in the warm water of Cozumel.
Divers will likely see grouper, barracudas, turtles, butterflyfish, parrotfish, and stingrays, as well as angelfish, moray eels, nurse sharks, octopuses, snakes, crabs, and giant lobsters.
Coral reefs are in tropical oceans, typically between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. However, there are exceptions, such as the Florida Keys. The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
The second-largest barrier coral reef is off the coast of Belize in Central America. Other reefs are found in Hawaii, the Red Sea, and other areas in tropical oceans. Coral reefs, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Fiji's Barrier Reef, occupy less than one-quarter of one percent of the Earth's marine environment yet are home to more than a quarter of all known fish species.
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Carnival CoEarth'son & Pic Commitment to Our Environment
Carnival understands that our future depends mainly on the health of the world's oceans. The line aggressively seeks both high- and low-tech solutions to manage its fleet's environmental impact and preserve natural resources. Below are a few ways Carnival manages and preserves this impact.
An extensive waste-management plan for collecting, storing, processing, and disposing all waste generated aboard Carnival vessels meets or exceeds international and domestic laws and regulations. Carnival ships are regulated by various international, national, state, and local laws, regulations, and treaties in force in the ship's jurisdictions.
Carnival has received certification for its ISO14001 Environmental Management System. The Requirement for Standardization is an internationally recognized standards organization that promotes developing and implementing international standards, including those for environmental management issues.
Solid waste is processed and incinerated on board whenever possible.
Carnival educates and encourages its guests to participate in its recycling program. Food, glass, aluminum, and plastics are collected in separate bins in public areas, open decks, steward stations, galley and crew areas, room service pantries, and bar pantries.
Cooking oil and graces are stored in exceptional holding thanks after use and used onboard as an alternate fuel source on all Carnival ships.
Additionally, Carnival lines donate various items, such as mattresses, televisions, blankets, and computers that can no longer be used aboard the ships but are still in usable condition, to local organizations in both home ports and ports of call.
Carnival has also formed an alliance with the International SeaKeepers Society and has installed a scientific data-gathering device on the Carnival Trump and Carnival Spirit to monitor ocean water quality. The device tracts a wide range of data, which is transmitted via satellite to various environmental groups, governmental agencies, and universities to aid in assessing ocean pollution and researching global climate changes and cyclic weather patterns.
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