How can sea cucumbers help save coral reefs?
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Audience
Secondary school -
Learning stage
Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6 -
Learning area
Climate change, Science -
Type
Learning resources
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Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrate’s consisting of 1500 different species worldwide, of which 200 live in Australia. They belong to a group of aquatic animals called filter feeders, meaning they pass sand through their bodies in order to filter out little organisms hiding in it.
In this process of 'filtering', sea cucumbers also crush sand and shells which leads to a positive by-effect for the ecosystem. Watch Eliza and Claire’s video to learn the unknown superpowers of sea cucumbers!
About the video
Making A Splash, discusses the key role that sea cucumbers have in saving our coral reefs. Eliza and Claire explain how sea cucumbers help to counteract the harmful impacts of climate change, rebuild reefs, and increase nutrient recycling. Ocean acidification is a major concern as global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise and for coral reefs to maintain a stable mass, the rate of calcium carbonate accumulation must equal the rate of calcium carbonate loss.