Coral Reefs

Question 1

What are corals

Answer 1

Corals are ancient water living organisms that have evolved for 540 million years. They eat small fish & plankton and are invertebrates ( no spine)

Question 2

What gives corals their color?

Answer 2

Corals are actually transparent but there are algaes called zooxanthellae that live on them and give them color.

Question 3

How do corals help us?

Answer 3

-corals store carbon
-corals filtrate ocean water
-fishing industry and jobs
-bring tourism
-maintaining fish population
-coastal erosion prevention

Question 4

What is coral bleaching?

Answer 4

Coral bleaching is when the corals turn white because the algae that live on them disappear. This happens because of climate change. The temperatures rise in the oceans and the algae starts to produce toxins.

Question 5

Name 3 reasons to corals disappearing

Answer 5

-warmer oceans
-sea level rises
-changes in storm patterns
-changes in precipitation
-altered ocean currents
-ocean acidification