description: This up-to-date and comprehensive electronic book on two CD-ROMs provides vital information on government research and conservation efforts for coral and coral reefs, including locations in the Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Virgin Islands, and elsewhere. Over 95,000 pages of informative and colorful illustrated documents and papers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, the Coral Reef Conservation Program, Coral Health and Monitoring Program (CHAMP), Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS), EPA, NASA, and other federal agencies provide the best collection available anywhere of detailed information on coral reefs and their endangered ecosystems. Coral reefs, and their associated systems of mangroves and seagrasses, are the world's most biologically diverse marine ecosystems. Reef building corals contain tiny cells of symbiotic algae that convert sunlight and nutrients into fuel for coral growth and production. Other types of corals that do not require warm water or sunlight are found in deep water, providing important habitats for commercial, recreational and other species. Boulder and massive corals, like the boulder star coral, are the "builders" of the reef. A coral head is a colony of small animals called polyps. These corals provide the reef foundations that is home to millions of reef species. Over 4,000 species of reef fish have been described so far. Elkhorn coral is a branching coral. Branching corals grow in the shallow areas of the reef crest and serve to break up the wave action as it comes onto the reef. The branches of elkhorn coral resemble an elk's rack of antlers, thus its name. Pillar coral forms numerous heavy cylindrical spires that grow upward from an encrusting base. Unlike other hard corals, which feed at night, pillar coral extends its polyps to feed during the day. Fallen pillers may give rise to new upward growing spires. Topics covered include: Environmental and Anthropogenic Threats to Coral Reef Ecosystems Climate Change and Coral Bleaching Diseases Tropical Storms Coastal Development and Runoff Coastal Pollution Tourism and Recreation Fishing Trade in Coral and Live Reef Species Ships, Boats and Groundings Marine Debris Aquatic Invasive Species Security Training Activities Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration Threats Conservation and Stewardship Water Quality Benthic Habitats Associated Biological Communities Current Conservation Management Activities In all, this CD-ROM set has over 95,000 pages reproduced using Adobe Acrobat PDF software - allowing direct viewing on Windows and Apple Macintosh systems. Reader software is included on the CD. Our news and educational discs are privately compiled collections of official public domain U.S. government files and documents - they are not produced by the federal government. They are designed to provide a convenient user-friendly reference work, utilizing the benefits of the Adobe Acrobat format to uniformly present thousands of pages that can be rapidly reviewed, searched by finding specific words, or printed without untold hours of tedious research and downloading. Vast archives of important public domain government information that might otherwise remain inaccessible are available for instant review no matter where you are. This book-on-a-disc format makes a great reference work and educational tool. There is no other reference that is as fast, convenient, comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and portable - everything you need to know, from the federal sources you trust.
title: 21st Century Complete Guide to Coral Reefs: Research and Protection from Pollution, Damage, Threats--Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Virgin Islands
titlecomplete: 21st Century Complete Guide to Coral Reefs: Research and Protection from Pollution, Damage, Threats--Pacific Islands, Hawaii, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Virgin Islands
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publisher: Progressive Management