Coral Reef Exam Review Flashcards
What type of organisms make up coral reefs?
Polyps
What percentage of the ocean floor do coral reefs make up
Less than 1%
What temperature range do coral reefs generally thrive in?
73 to 84 °F
What is the name of the symbiotic algae that helps feed the coral and gives coral its color?
Zooxanthellae
Why are coral reefs important for millions of people throughout the world?
Provide food, research, jobs, and protection
Diseases that coral reefs have provided the medical compounds that developed life saving medicines for.
Cancer, HIV, malaria
What percentage have coral reefs declined over the last 30 years?
40-50%
Conditions that cause stress to coral
Changes in temperature, light, nutrients
How do coral respond to stress?
Expel Zooxanthellae (bleaching)
What is the main type of competitor to coral and thrives in conditions where coral struggles to survive?
Turf algae
What happens to coral if they expel their zooxanthellae?
Harder to survive, die
Coral belongs to what kingdom
Animalia
Coral belong to what phylum
Cnidaria
Coral are in the same phylum as their cousins…
Jelly fish and sea anemone
What do coral, jellyfish, and sea anemones have in common?
soft bodied and stinging tentacles