Ecology and Coral Reefs: Understanding Ecosystems and Environmental Challenges

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on coral reefs, ecosystems, and environmental challenges.

Ecosystems

A community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Trophic Dynamics

The study of how energy and nutrients flow through an ecosystem.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.

Eutrophication

A process by which water bodies become enriched with nutrients, leading to excessive growth of algae.

Carrying Capacity (K)

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support sustainably.

Photosynthesis

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

Zooxanthellae

Photosynthetic algae that live in a symbiotic relationship with coral, providing them with nutrients.

Aquaculture

The cultivation of aquatic organisms in controlled environments, including fish farming and seaweed cultivation.

Herbivores

Organisms that primarily consume plants, playing a crucial role in ecosystems by controlling plant population.