Our marine Resources
Name: Dezarnique Hodge
Subject: Social Studies
Topic: Our Environment
Subtopic: Our Marine Resources
Table of Contents
Table of Illustration
Acknowledgement
Project Assignment
What are Marine Resources?
What are mangrove swamps?
Where are they found?
Fauna living in mangroves
Importance/ Functions of
mangroves to coral reefs
What are Coral Reefs?
Fauna living in a Reefs
Marine Resources are being
harmed in many ways
Two ways in which we can
protect our marine resources
Coastal flora
Coastal fauna
A Brief Reflection
References
Table of Illustrations
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Fig. 1a and 1b
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Black and Red mangroves
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Fig. 2
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White mangroves
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Fig. 3a and 3b
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Mangroves at Friar’s Bay and Half Moon Bay Ponds
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Fig. 4a and 4b
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Mangroves at Greatheeds and Frigate Bay Ponds
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Fig. 5a
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Map showing Marine Habitats around St. Kitts
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Fig. 5b
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Map showing Ponds and Mangroves in St. Kitts
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Fig. 6a and 6b
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The Great Blue Heron and a Cattle Egret
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Fig. 7a and 7b
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The Belted Kingfisher and the Green Heron
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Fig. 8a and 8b
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The West Indian Whistling Ducks and the Lesser Antillean Bullfinch
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Fig. 9
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Fauna living in mangroves at Friar’s Bay and Half Moon Bay Ponds
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Fig. 10a and 10b
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Coral Reefs at Nags Head
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Fig. 11
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Fauna living in a reef
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Fig, 12
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Polluting of mangrove swamps
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Fig. 13
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Illegal sand mining at Key’s Bay
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Fig. 14a and 14b
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Sewage drains to mangrove swamps at Conaree and polluting of mangroves.
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Fig. 15
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Beach clean-up at Cockleshell Bay by W.A.H.S students and break waters at Pinney’s Beach.
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Fig. 16
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Running vines and sea grapes trees at North Frair’s Bay
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Fig. 17
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Crabs and Brown Pelicans at Pinney’s Beach.
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Fig. 18
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Brown Pelicans at Cockleshell Bay.
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Fig. 19
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Baby Hawksbill Turtle caught for physical examination at White House Bay.
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Project Assignment
1. What are mangrove swamps?
2. Where are they found?
3. Pictures of mangroves in St. Kitts and Nevis.
4. Fauna living in mangrove.
5. Pictures of fauna living in mangroves.
6. Importance/ Function of mangroves to coral reefs.
7. Pictures of coral reefs.
8. Pictures of fauna living in a reef.
9. Pictures showing marine resources being harmed
10. Two ways in which we can protect our marine
resources.
11. Pictures of coastal flora.
12. Pictures of coastal fauna.
13. What have I learnt from this project?
What are ‘Marine Resources’?
Marine Resources are living and non-living (things)
materials found in the ocean and around the coast.
1. What are mangrove swamps?
Mangrove is a term that refers to the species of salt
tolerant trees dominating the water along tropical and
subtropical coasts. The plants of the mangrove swamps
vary in height from shrubs to trees 40 metres tall. They
thrive in salt water with temperatures above 23˚C.
There are three types of mangroves in the Caribbean.
(a) Black mangroves
(b) Red mangroves
(c) White mangroves
2. Where are they found?
Mangrove swamps are located in tropic and sub-tropic
regions. They are found at:-
v fringe on open coastline
v in depressions or basins
v a scrub vegetation
v coastal wetlands system
In St. Kitts the mangroves largely coincide with the
location of salt ponds and wetlands. Mangroves can be
located at the Greatheeds Ponds, Half Moon Pond,
Frigate Bay Pond and Friar’s Bay Pond.
Map showing Marine Habitats around St. Kitts.
Map Showing Ponds and Mangrove in St. Kitts
4. Fauna living in mangroves
Fauna – is the animals of a particular area.
Fauna living in mangroves includes:
v great blue heron
v cattle egret
v belted kingfisher
v green heron
v West Indian whistling duck
v Lesser Antillean bullfinch
5. Pictures of fauna living in mangroves.
6. Importance/ Functions of mangroves
to coral reefs.
Mangroves and coral reefs are linked together by the
water masses that move in and out with the tide, and by
the animals that move between these habitats. Mangroves
are important nursery grounds for commercial
species such as shrimps, snappers and mackerel.
v Mangroves are very important to the adjacent coral
reefs in that they filter silt and nutrients that would
otherwise go out to the reef and smother corals and
encourage algae growth.
v Mangroves provide alternative feeding area for fish
so that less stress is on the coral reefs.
What are Coral Reefs?
Coral Reefs are the rainforest of the oceans. They are
built up of skeletons of tiny sea creatures called Polyps.
These animals live in clean, shallow water
water and only survive in clean tropical seas. Coral Reefs continually grow in size because new, living polyps grow on the remains of old dead polyps.
There are two kinds of reefs growing off the coastline; Fringing reefs grows close to our shore, near the land. Barrier reefs grow further away.
Cutaway view of a Coral Polyp
7. Pictures of coral reefs.
8. Pictures of fauna living in a reef.
9. Marine Resources are being harmed in many ways.
v Polluting the sea with garbage (marine debris)
v Illegal sand mining (fig. 13)
v Oil spill
v Sewage dumping into the ocean/mangrove swamps (fig. 12)
v dynamite kills the fish and reef
v people sail boats near coral reefs and anchors and break off reefs
10. Two ways in which we can protect our marine resources.
Two ways in which our marine resources can protected are:-
1. Break waters – these are structures constructed on coasts to protect the coast. They reduce the intensity of water action and inshore waters thereby reducing coastal erosion.
2. Beach clean-up.
11. The plant life around the coastline is called coastal flora.
Þ Sea weed Þ Moss
Þ Sea grapes Þ Vines
Þ Clamocherry Þ Fern
Þ Reefs
12. The animal life around the coastline is called the coastal fauna
Þ fishes Þ seagulls
Þ lobsters Þ turtles
Þ crabs
A Brief Reflection
13. What have I learnt from this project?
I have learnt more about mangroves and coral reefs and how they help the flora and fauna in the coastline and sea. It is also interesting to know where they can be located on my island (St. Kitts).
Glossary
1. Coral – is a hard substance made of the skeletons of tiny sea creature.
2. Coral Reefs – are the rainforest of the ocean. They are a source of food and medicine and they protect the coast from wave erosions.
3. Fauna – the animal’s life of an area or of a period of time.
4. Flora – the plants life of an area or period of time.
5. Mangroves – are the species of salt tolerant trees dominating along tropical and subtropical coast.
6. Marine Resources – these are living and non-living (things) materials found around the coast and in the ocean.
7. Polyp – these coral animals are called polyps.
References
1. Social Studies Class note book (Grade 5)
2. The New Book of Knowledge (Encyclopaedia) from Scholastic A to Z.
3. The Internet (Computer).
4. Department of Physical Panning (for all local pictures).
