Mangroves Flashcards
What is the Caroni swamp and what lives there?
TheCaroni Swampis the second largestmangrovewetlandinTrinidad and Tobago.It is located on the west coast ofTrinidad and habitat to the scarlet ibis.
Name 2 mangrove swamps in Trinidad
Caroni Swamp, Nariva Swamp
What is the dominant system organism in the reef system, and what is it related to?
The hard coral, an animal that is related to the sea anemone
What is a singular coral known as and describe what it does
A polyp- secretes a cup-like skeleton of calcium carbonate into which it can withdraw.
What happens as polyps grow?
Their skeletons give rise to the massive rock-like structures that are the basis of a reef community
What is the single coral polyp made up of?
It is mad up of a mouth, surrounded by tentacles that contain stinging cells.
What are stinging cells used to do?
These are used to paralyze its prey, microscopic marine animals (zooplankton), which are then drawn into the cavity of the polyp, and digested, therefore polyps are carnivores
What lives in polyp tissues?
Microscopic algae are known as zooxanthellae. These pratists have a symbiotic relationship with the coral polyp. They help with the nutrition of the coral and its ability to form its calcium carbonate skeleton, and in return are provided with a habitat.
How does the zooxanthellae use mutualism??
The zooxanthellae also use the waste products of the coral polys as raw materials for photosynthesis. This is an example of mutualism
Corals reproduce….
both asexually and sexually
How does asexual reproduction occur
When environmental factors are suitable and new individual bits form from each parent polyp, resulting in the increased size of the colony.
What is sexual reproduction
When sperm are released into the water and are drawn into the cavity and result in the formation of free-swimming planula larvae, which are released into the water. The planulae move through the water for a short time before settling on an appropriate hard substrate
What does sexual reproduction result in?
The dispersion of various coral species and the colonisation of new areas
What is the water temp. required for reef building?
between 23-25 for optimal growth and do not tolerate long exposure to the air.
Reefs will not grow when
at depths below 50-70m as their symbiotic algae require sunlight for photosynthesis.