Pocklington Reef

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pocklington-reef

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic location?Southwestern Pacific Ocean, within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Papua New Guinea
2. What is the primary biogenic agent?Scleractinian corals (stony corals) and associated calcifying organisms
3. How do coral polyps build the reef?The reef is built by tiny coral polyps that make calcium carbonate shells. Over time their shells stack up to create the reef’s structure.
4. Why is Pocklington Reef important for fish and other animals?Because the reef has many different shapes and spaces, it gives fish, sharks, shrimp, and other animals places to live, feed, and grow.

Scleractinian Corals: Order of stony corals that form the primary structural framework of most tropical coral reefs worldwide.
Ocean Acidification: The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Ecosystem Services: The benefits that humans derive, directly or indirectly, from ecosystem functions, such as coastal protection and nutrient cycling.