Coral Reef Shipwreck EarthCache
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Just off the shore along the white sand beaches of Punta Cana is the primary source of what forms the sand you walk on. The Coral Reefs of Bavaro. No visit to the region is complete with out exploring what lies just below the waters surface.
Coral reefs: are aragonite structures produced by living organisms, found in shallow, tropical marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water. High nutrient levels such as that found in runoff from agricultural areas can harm the reef by encouraging the growth of algae. In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate (limestone). The accumulation of skeletal material, broken and piled up by wave action and bioeroders, produces a massive calcareous formation that supports the living corals and a great variety of other animal and plant life. Although corals are found both in temperate and tropical waters, reefs are formed only in a zone extending at most from 30°N to 30°S of the equator; the reef-forming corals do not grow at depths of over 30 m (100 ft) or where the water temperature falls below 22 °C (72 °F).
There are three main kinds of reef. The first is known as the fringing reef, which is what you see if you go snorkeling just off the shore. The fringing reef is always connected to the mainland, but can extend quite far out to sea. It has a variety of coral types and species, and for the uninitiated it is a great place to see some underwater life. Beyond the fringing reef across the lagoon - an area of shallow water with a floor of coral sand and debris - you will come to the barrier reef or, as is more common in Caribbean and tropical Atlantic waters, the bank/barrier reef. The difference between the two is their size: the barrier reef, found mainly in the Pacific, is larger than the bank/barrier reef and is separated by lagoons thousands of meters wide, as opposed to the hundreds which separate the bank/barrier reef from the mainland. This type of reef is home to more species than the fringing reef, but you will need a boat to get out to it. The third type of reef is the atoll, an incomplete ring of sandy islands built up on coral reefs surrounding a submerged volcano. They are usually found far from any continent or large island and are rare in the Caribbean. The closest atoll to the Dominican Republic lies off the coast of Belize.
To log this cache you must meet the following requirements:
1. What type of stone is made by coral reefs?
2. Go snorkeling with an underwater camera (disposables work great) and take pictures of some the coral. (Hint. Bananas work as great fish food and will bring in many species of fish)
3. Take a picture of yourself and GPS in front of the resort that the co-ordinates take you to.
4. Get a picture of yourself and GPS with the shipwreck in the background. What is the name of the ship?.
5. Briefly explain how the coral reef is directly responsible for shaping the land (sand) you are walking on.
Post your pictures and e-mail your answers to my profile for credit.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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