Unit 5 notes AICE Marine Science

polyp

corals live individually as a

cnidocytes

corals capture food with stinging cells called _____ containing nematocysts which are harpoon shaped and contain toxins

nematocysts

what do cnidocytes contain?

nematocysts

in cnidocytes and are harpoon shaped and contain toxin

calcium and carbon dioxide

corals grow an exoskeleton (calyx) from _____ and ____ _____to make calcium carbonate

sessile

corals are immobile and anchored in place or in other words

cnidaria

corals are invertebrate marine animals (phylum ___)

basal plate

corals Need to attach to a stable substrate such as a rock with the ________

reef

corals form colonies of polyps to make a

Hermatypic Corals:

hard corals that build reefs

Ahermatypic Corals

soft corals that do not build reefs

zooxanthellae

corals Form a mutualistic relationship with dinoflagellates called _______

photosynthesize

The zooxanthellae live in the skin of coral and ______________

zooxanthellae

• Even though corals are consumers, they cannot survive without the additional nutrition provided by the _________

diffusion

• corals Can gain some nutrients through ____

Tropical Coral Requirements.

- pH: basic water 8.1 - 8.5

what is the pH required for tropical coral

optimum range of 23 - 25 degrees Celsius

what is the optimal temp of water for tropical corals

16-35 degrees celsius

what temperature of water is required for tropical coral

turbid water blocks sunlight and inhibits photosynthesis of the zooxanthellae

why does tropical coral require clear water?

- Shallow water: greater range of the light spectrum reaches the zooxanthellae

why does tropical coral require shallow water?

20

tropical corals have to be within ___m of the surface

solid material such as rocks are ideal. Also includes the limestone skeletons of ancestral corals

what substrate is ideal for tropical corals?

34-36 ppt

what ppt salinity does tropical coral require

-Lower/higher pH cause stress/coral bleaching

-low pH/acidic water dissolves coral skeleton

-leads to death

explain why corals can only live in a pH between 8.1 and 8.5

-Warm ocean currents (gulf stream

-solid subtrates

-abundant clear shallow water

-salinity in range of 34-36ppt

-pH in range of 8.1-8.4

Explain why corals can live around the island of Bermuda at a latitude of 32.3 degrees north

An oceanic volcano emerges from the sea surface and forms an island which is colonized by reef building corals

what is the first stage of the Darwin-dana-Daly theory of atoll formation?

fringing reef

a ringing reef is a coral structure that is attached to land, either mainlandor islands

-Growth of corals forms a fringing reef around the island.

-Island begins to sink slowly (subduction) while coral continues to grow (volcano is dormant)

what is the second stage of the Darwin-dana-Daly theory of atoll formation?

Island continues to sink

-Barrier reef forms with a lagoon between the reef and island

what is the third stage of the Darwin-dana-Daly theory of atoll formation?

Barrier reef

is coral growth separated from the mainland or island shoreby a deep channel or lagoon

island eventually disappears (subsides) below the sea surface

- Atoll forms: a ring of small islands with a shallow (usually) lagoon in the center

what is the fourth stage of the Darwin-dana-Daly theory of atoll formation?

- Atoll forms:

a ring of small islands with a shallow (usually) lagoon in the center

patch reefs

Small, isolated reefs within the lagoon of an atoll are called

larvae

calm water

patch reefs are Often critical habitat for ____ and juvenile fish as they are most often located in ______

10,000

Fringing reef can take _____ years to form

30

Atoll can take ____ million years to form

Older

volcanic

1000

subsided

Atoll Formation Evidence

- Cores were drilled at research sites, such as the Bikini Atoll

- ____ corals were found below younger corals

- The base of the corals was _____ rock

- The skeletons/limestone from ancestral corals were found more than

___ m deep

- These corals could not have lived here and must have ___ with the

base of the island

Protects the shoreline from erosion

- Dissipates and/or absorbs energy of the waves

Protects coastal:

- Properties

- Anchorage for boats

- Ecosystems (habitat)

what are the benefits of coral reefs to a coast

- Dissipates and/or absorbs energy of the waves

how does a coral reef protect the shoreline from erosion?

-shoreline

-properties

-anchorage for boats

-ecosystems (habitats)

what does a coral reef protect?

• Parrot fish, triggerfish and puffer fish consume corals (including skeleton) and through digestion reduce them to sand

• Crown of thorns starfish*

• Crustaceans and mollusks

• Other consumers include predacious and parasitic worms

What bioerosion affects coral reefs?

sand

• Parrot fish, triggerfish and puffer fish consume corals (including skeleton) and through digestion reduce them to ____

-parrot fish, trigger fish, puffer fish, and Crown of thorns starfish

-organisms consume the reef

-reef is turned into sand

with reference to one example. explain what is meant by the term bioerosion

• Weather

- Hurricanes and Typhoons ("tropical cyclones")

- Tsunamis

- Earthquakes (rare)

• Humans

- Dredging

- Boat traffic and anchors

- Dumping of garbage

- Chemical effects

what physical erosion affects coral reefs?

-heavy wave action and currents

-movement of seafloor

Physical Erosion - coral reefs

- Hurricanes and Typhoons ("tropical cyclones"): ____ and _____ break apart corals and carry particles away

- Tsunamis: same as tropical cyclones

- Earthquakes (rare): ______ break apart reefs and create waves and

currents

channels

trauma

contacting

Physical Erosion

• Humans

- Dredging: excavating the seafloor to create ____ (passages for boats)

- Boat traffic and anchors: ___ to reef from boats and anchors repeatedly ____ reef

- Dumping of garbage

- Chemical effects

1. Clearing of forests/plants

2. Increased runoff

3. Increased turbidity of water / sedimentation

4. Sewage/pollution directly killed / caused algae bloom

5. Coral bleaching

6. Coral erode by wave action/currents

explain how humans caused the reduction of coral cover

ships and concrete

human Impacts - Not all bad

-Restoration of barrier reefs is possible

- Best uses have been ____ and ____ from bridges and old buildings

rebuilding reefs

- Adding the proper materials to areas of the ocean where reefs once were can be successful at _________

(human impacts-not all bad)

poor

moved with

- Experiments for rebuilding reefs have been made with items such as used tires, concrete, metal and even cars and boats

- The tire experiment failed: tires were poor substrate for coral attachment and ______ currents

(human impacts-not all bad)

-Most natural for attachment (rough surface)

-easy to obtain (make and recycle)

-can be shaped into any form

- long lasting

-solid substrate

Why is concrete the best building material for artificial reefs?

-corals and producers can attach

-easy to obtain(mostly recycled objects)

-long lasting

Why is metal the second best building material for artificial reefs?

-ships and other vehicles need to be cleaned before becoming a reef

-fixed forms, can be shaped into any form

-often more expensive to deploy than concrete.

what are the down sides to using metal as a building material for artificial reefs?

a location where no natural reefs are present and will not move, even if there are storms

artificial reef deployment requirements

smaller more numerous and spread-out

________ and _________ reefs are more productive than one large continuous reef structure

Adding reefs

-Restoration of barrier reefs is possible by

- Increasing biodiversity

- Reducing erosion

- Increasing populations

- Creating safe areas for anchorage of boat

Adding reefs can help with:

- Affix farmed coral polyps to existing substrate

- Add new substrate such as concrete or metal

- Reduce local runoff and pollution

Explain how a coral reef can be reestablished. [3

- Providing stable substrate for attachment of primary producers

*- Increases habitat for shelter/reproduction

- Increasing biodiversity

- Reducing erosion

- Increasing populations

Explain why artificial reefs can be beneficial to the native reef community. [4]

saltwater or brackish water

Mangroves live in what type of water?

25 degrees north and 25 degrees south

Between which latitudes are mangroves typically found?

- filtering out salt from water during uptake

- Store or expel salt after uptake

what type of adaptations does mangroves have for living in saltwater.

lenticles

allow for gas exchange for the root system in the red mangrove

lenticels

the red mangrove have prop roots with ___: allow for gas exchange for the root system

~97%

leaves

leaf

the red mangrove Exclude ___% of the salt from the water - extra salt is accumulated in

_____ and is removed from the plant when the ___is dropped

viviparous

the red mangrove Create new plants with _____ reproduction

Viviparous reproduction

fertilized flowers grow into a propagule (a young plant attached to the parent plant) that eventually falls off and can survive for months before a suitable substrate is found

• Food source - high biodiversity habitat

• Protect coasts from erosion

• Help purify water

• Ecotourism - $$$

Mangroves - Economic Importance

Sea level rise causes plants to 'drown'.

What is one threat to mangroves caused by climate change?

Cutting trees for lumber or paper.

What is a threat to mangroves related to overharvesting?

Decreasing barrier reefs leads to more erosion.

How does storm damage affect mangroves?

Developing the forests for property.

What is a coastal land use threat to mangroves?

oxygen poor (anoxic)

mangroves live in areas where the soil is (Mangroves - Ecological Importance)

pneumatophores and prop roots

What do mangroves use to "breathe" (Mangroves - Ecological Importance)

1. Hold soil and prevent erosion

2. Provide attachment for primary producers

3. Provide attachment for animals

4. Provide shelter for young animals "nursery"

what are the ecological benefits of a mangroves extensive cage like root system?(Mangroves - Ecological Importance)

carbon sinks

mangroves Are also important _____ that help reduce CO2 in the atmosphere*

• A keystone species

is an organism that is essential to the survival of an ecosystem

keystone

Mangroves are considered to be a "_____ species"

keystone species

A ____ ____ Affects other populations greater than expected from its own population

- Many species rely on mangrove habitat for survival

- Attachment for other organisms

- Provide shelter for larval/adolescent organisms

- Provide energy for other species

Explain how mangroves are a keystone species in southern Florida. [3]

-sediments would increase turbidity

-zooxanthellae photosynthesis reduced

-corals bleach/die

Explain how a coral reef would be affected by excessive runoff from an area of land where the forest has been cleared. [3]

Photic Zone = Epipelagic Zone

Photic Zone = _____ Zone

Pelagic Zone: open ocean

____ Zone: open ocean

Mesopelagic Zone: 200m to 1,000m deep

Mesopelagic Zone: ___m to ____m deep

Mesopelagic Zone

-this is often where the oxygen minimum zone is

Bathypelagic Zone: 1,000m to 4,000m

Bathypelagic Zone: ____m to ____m

>4000

Abyssopelagic Zone: >____m

Abyssopelagic

_____ zone

-deep ocean: marine snow and chemosynthesis needed for energy

carbon

oxygen

oceans are a sink for ____

-they can also be a source for _____

carbon and heat

what are two things that oceans are sinks for?

global temperature moderation (climate control)

the vast amount of water in the oceans also function as a heat sink and source, allowing for ____

Splash Zone

____: just above the high-tide zone that only receives a little water in a day, found in rocky shores

periwinkles and crabs

common organisms that reside in the splash zone, located in rocky shores, are

air

organisms that live in the splash zone area all well adapted to living exposed to

tide pools

areas in the high and middle tide zones that hold water during low tide, found in rocky shores

tide pools offer a refuge for organisms to escape desiccation (drying out)

-increasing temps

-increasing salinity

-decreasing oxygen

tide pools can be dangerous to organisms if the tide is out for a long time (lower than normal tides) due to ___, ____, and ____

low

middle

high

what are the three tide zones?

high tide

tide zone that is not covered in water most of the day

air exposure

organisms living in high tide zones must adapt to long periods of