Obj 1 intro to bio of coral reefs 1 In what ways are coral reefs extreme Large enough to be seen from space bio diversity on reefs is greater than any other marine system complexity of interactions among organisms is extreme beautiful vulnerable to abuse 2 How are they important to humans Protect coastlines from damage by storm waves hurricane waves lose their destructive power sparing cities roads provide fish and shellfish decorative materials medical uses building materials tourism and divers snorkelers 3 What are the environmental requirements of corals and how do they constrain the geographic distribution of reefs built by corals Tropical waters sunlight required average salinity vigorous water movement clear water 4 Why can corals be considered part animal part plant and part rock As solid as rocks skeletons living coral tissue 5 What other animals are closely related to corals and what are the characteristics they share Same group as anemones hydras and jellyfish cnidarians Saclike design with a mouth that opens into a simple gut gastrovascular cavity Injects poison toxins Tentacle ringed mouths polyps 6 What are the two ways in which reef building corals acquire food and what is their relative importance to the corals Corals use tentacles to capture plankton photosynthesis ex Using photons for energy to synthesize organic compounds important to coral nutrition single celled plants that live within their tissues zooxanthellae able to produce own food using energy from sunlight 7 How does living as a colony influence patterns of growth and possibilities for overall shape As the surface are of colony increases more polyps are required to cover it depressions called corallite can retract its tentacles 8 What are the stages of the coral life cycle both sexual and asexual Corals propagate asexually when they are broken by storm waves or other physical disturbance Release of eggs and sperm into the water spawning fertilization of eggs forms planula larvae cilia propel through the water until reaches stage of readiness to settle to the bottom and begin formation of new colony when coral is large enough then it produces gametes of its own Obj 2 Diversity of life on coral reefs 1 How does species diversity on coral reefs compare with that of other ecosystems More diverse than any other ecosystem 35000 60000 species 2 How is information about the many tens of thousands of species that live on reefs organized so we can readily retrieve it Nomenclature system Carl Linneaus every species has a two part name consisting of the genus and species ex Humans homo sapiens 3 What characteristics contribute to the most fundamental division of life into prokaryotes and eukaryotes Pro small circular DNA molecules no membranes earliest forms of life biochemicals digesting manufactured substances like nylon produce own food antibiotic compounds do not form multicellular organisms divided into two domains bacteria archaea Euk larger complex contains organelles digestive respiratory syst one domain eukaryota 4 kingdoms One kingdom single celled organisms protists Other three multicellular organisms fungi plants animals 4 What is the importance of the cyanobacteria to coral reeds blue green algae are common photosynthetic organisms in all marine habitats Importance as contributors to primary production generation of sugars and oxygen by photosynthesis 5 How are the four kingdoms of eukaryotes distinguished from each other Protista plantae animala What does global warming do to corals Zoox leave their corals when water is too warm bleaching What happens when excess nutirents from land get in the sea Boost nutrient levels which fuel algae growth What does oil pollution do Smothers corals by not allowing sunlight fills mangrove roots Cleaner fish and shrimps pick parasites off hosts Cleaning symbiosis Pathogens Infectious pathogens have devastated coral sea fan and sponge species Mutualism Both species benefit Parasitism Commensalism Symbiosis One species gains at the expense of the other species Neither species is harmed though one might benefit 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Individuals of different species living in close association with each other Corals out compete neighbors by blocking sunlight branching tabular corals grow more rapidly 10 Competition between mobile animals Must differ in some way ex Hunt at different times 11 Competition among corals Both organisms benefit from interacting One organism consumes the other paracitism herbivory 2 or more organisms require the same limiting resources 12 Mutualism 13 Predation 14 Competition 15 Open ocean Dispersal of larvae links coral reefs to each other currents link distant reefs across open ocean 16 Sea grass medows Stabilize sediment rich feeding grounds 17 Mangroves Both marine and terrestrial rich hunting grounds nursery 18 Asexual propagation Produces genetically identical copies of parent doesn t generate variation 19 Larvae 20 Growth of a reef Planktonic suited for life in water column Look nothing like adults may travel 100s of miles 1 2 3 4 Growth solid skeletons of corals provides basic framework of reef Breakdown sponges clams make cavities in corals and turn solid carbonate to sediment Stabilization loose coral rubble is held together by algae and sponges Cemenation encrusting by coralline red algae then process repeats 21 Reef zones below the crest Buttresses of dense live coral sediment filled channels 22 Shallow reef crest Waves of seaword fast growth of corals and coralline red algae 23 Atolls 24 Barrier reefs Rings of reed around a central lagoon far from shore Complexes of islands extending far from shore covering huge areas 25 What do coral reefs need to grow Warm water sunlight moderate water movements normal salinity clear tropic waters shallow 26 Fringing reefs Near shore and vulnerable to runoff 27 Deposit feeders Eats sediment 28 Defense against predators 29 Coral anatomy Plant rock and animal 30 Sessile filter feeders Hard shells toxins toxic bristles camouflage claws teeth flying Filter feeders that are unable to move so they have long feathery appendages to capture food 31 Defense against herbivores Can have poison in them have bits of rock calcium carbonate 32 How do mobile predators capture prey Mobile predators have steamline bodies and large eyes to capture prey Phylum of animals with a spine anal tail at some point we are in the chordata family Starfish sea urchin pentaradial symmetry calcareous bits embedded in their skin
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