Chatterbox Middle Primary A - The South Pacific

The warm tropical waters of the South Pacific are home to many coral reefs and atolls. Coral reefs are formed by the skeletons of masses of tiny little sea creatures called coral polyps. When coral polyps die their skeletons secrete calcium carbonate forming a hard protective shell. This builds up to form a coral reef. An atoll is a coral reef that forms on top of an extinct volcano, creating a ring-shaped island surrounding a lagoon.

Coral reefs and atolls are inhabited by a diverse range of marine life. Algae, fish, sea urchins, molluscs, crabs, moray eels and sharks are just some of the creatures that make up these complex ecosystems.

Over the past decades pollution and fishing have threatened the health of many coral reefs. One of the major environmental concerns to reefs in the South Pacific is bleaching. Bleaching occurs due to a change in the environmental conditions and causes coral which is normally bright and colourful to lose its colour. The cause of this is unknown, but it is suspected that global warming may be responsible. The environmental impact of bleaching is severe and could result in the gradual destruction of many coral reefs and their habitats.

The Pacific Ocean floor is made up of several huge tectonic plates. When these plates move and collide into one another, they cause changes to the Earth’s surface. Over millions of years this movement has resulted in the formation of thousands of kilometres of deep ocean trenches and high volcanic ridges around the edges of the tectonic plates. These are collectively known as ‘The Ring of Fire’. The Ring of Fire runs through the North and South Pacific regions, and the high volcanic ridges have given rise to the islands of Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and the Cook Islands.