5 pages in length. Inasmuch as coral reefs represent a complex community of organisms and their environment functioning as an ecological unit in nature, it is not surprising to find that the numerous life systems that coral reefs support include a variety of plants and animals, in that the reef protectively harbors them as a means by which to thwart predators, as well as to provide for the reef itself. For some, the reefs are a place of safekeeping; for others, however, the reefs represent an overly abundant meal ticket. The writer discusses the importance of coral reefs upon other underwater life forms. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

10 pages in length. Hundreds of millions of years of oceanic history teeters on the verge of permanent extinction. Because of the detrimental effects of pollution, overfishing, tourism and drastic environmental changes, the world's coral reefs are fighting for their very existence. That coral reefs are an ecosystem all unto themselves, their rapid decline does not only influence their survival, but also that of myriad other species as well. Significant efforts are being made as a means by which to salvage what is left and perhaps repair what has already been damaged. The writer discusses ecosystems as they relate to coral reefs. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 3 page research paper that takes the form of a closing argument in a case where developers are threatening an old-growth rain forest and a coral reef. The writer speaks for the defense and the preservation of these ecosystems. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

3 pages in length. According to a report by Dan Vergano, whose article entitled Water Shortages Will Leave World in Dire Straits appears on the Water Environment Federation's Web site, the next fifty years poses a significant threat to the entire global population where water shortages are concerned. Over half of all people on the planet will suffer with the detrimental impact of a worldwide water crisis caused by man-made problems such as coral reef destruction, coastal rise due to global warming, tremendous drops in various bodies of water, waste (human & industrial), poverty, as well as wholly inadequate management of current water resources. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

7 pages in length. The cycle of life is present in myriad forms -- from birds dispersing seedlings far and wide to bees pollinating flowers to animals propagating their respective species -- providing for the survival of every living thing on this planet. The symbiotic relationship that exists between each two elements in the above examples illustrates how the lifecycle could not perpetuate itself if one of them were missing, a point just as pertinent when examining how soil and seed make food as when analyzing the interdependence of photosynthesis and the carbon cycle, with coral reefs representing a most appropriate example of this association. Bibliography lists 7 sources.