Coral Reef Ecology and Environmental Challenges

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture concerning coral reef ecology, environmental challenges, and conservation strategies.

Zooxanthellae

Photosynthetic dinoflagellates that live within coral tissues, providing the coral with nutrients.

Bleaching

A phenomenon where corals lose their colorful zooxanthellae due to stress, usually from rising water temperatures.

Eutrophication

The process by which nutrient pollution leads to excessive growth of algae in water bodies, affecting coral reefs.

Trophic Levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem that classify organisms based on their food sources and roles.

Top Down Control

A situation where higher trophic levels (predators) influence the structure and productivity of lower trophic levels.

Bottom Up Stimulation

An ecological concept where the availability of lower-level resources (like nutrients) influences the abundance of higher levels.

Artificial Selection

The intentional breeding of organisms to yield desired traits, applicable in coral restoration efforts.

Synthetic Biology

The field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them at the genetic level.

Overfishing

The removal of fish from a body of water at a rate faster than they can reproduce, leading to population decline.

Coral Skeleton

The hard, calcareous structure that remains after corals expel their zooxanthellae due to stress or bleaching.