Tropical coral reef
No description yet. This curated deck is ready for daily study.
Card preview (8)
How does cilia on coral work?
Theyre on coral polyps which trap floating planktonic organisms, they are passed to the stomach and digested
How do nematocysts work?
Theyre stinging cells that sting floating planktonic organisms, they are passed to the stomach by cilia and digested
How do symbiotic algae work?
Zooxanthellae are photosynthetic algae that live in the coral polyps, they photosynthesis providing oxygen and glucose for polyps. The polyps provide a habitat for the algae and CO2 which is absorbed by algae for growth.
Why is coral vulnerable to environmental change?
Because they only exist in regions with specific abiotic conditions.
What are the conditions for tropical coral reefs?
Light, for photosynthetic algae Temp, warm and constant Immersion, constantly covered to prevent drying out small tidal range Turbidity, low turbidity to prevent solids covering algae and preventing photosynthesis. Salinity, has to be just right as they have a small range of tolerance
Why are tropical coral reefs important?
Fisheries, that provide habitats for food. Medical discovery, AZT to treat HIV/AIDS from sea sponge. Climate control, act as carbon sinks Erosion protection, absorb energy of waves that would erode small islands Tourism
What are the threats to tropical coral reefs?
Physical damage from plastics, fishing nets, boats Collection for ornaments/souvenirs Sedimentation Pollution, oil spills Coral bleaching from increased temps Introduced species Fishing Coastal development Loss of habitats
What are the conservation efforts to protect tropical coral reefs?
Marine protected areas where fishing is controlled, there is environmental protection etc Control of tourism Reef creation from sinking structures