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EEMB 147 > Midterm 1 > Flashcards

Midterm 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is a reef?

A

A living community of bottom-dwelling (benthic) and swimming organisms, which centers on corals, oysters, worms and other cementing organisms
-organisms bind, secrete and precipitate CaCO3 in place, resulting in a 3D structure

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2
Q

What are stony corals?

A

-colonial organisms composed of hundreds of individuals, called polyps
-building up reef structures “framework builders”
-reef building corals are “hermatypic” - stony corals

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3
Q

What are morphological classifications of hermatypic corals?

A

-branching corals (fast growth)
-table or foliose corals (fast growth)
-massive corals (slow growth)

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4
Q

Accretion and erosion

A

Accretion: build up, primary production of calcium carbonate, and the creating of 3D structure
Erosion: mechanical or biotic agents, bioeroders

Accretion>erosion

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5
Q

Epilithic vs endolithic organisms

A

Epilithic: Organisms outside of the reef that contribute to its erosion (parrotfish)
Endolithic: organisms inside the reef that contribute to its erosion (mollusks, sponges)

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6
Q

Limiting factors for corals (abiotic conditions)

A

-temperature (narrow range)
-light/depth
-salinity (narrow range)
-sedimentation
-emergence into air
-Wave forcing

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7
Q

Temperature (limiting factor)

A

Higher temps cause bleaching
-lower temperature corals grow slowly and are outcompeted

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8
Q

Light (limiting factor)

A

-species specific, depends on zooxanthellae and coral species
-hermatypic species aren’t generally found below 50m
-light determines growth and zonation patterns (deep vs shallow)

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9
Q

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

A

-solar radiation that photosynthetic organisms are able to use in the process of photosynthesis
-photons at shorter wavelengths are more energetic, so they can be damaging to cells and tissues
-photons at longer wavelengths don’t carry enough energy to allow for photosynthesis

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10
Q

Sedimentation (limiting factor)

A

-fine sediments interfere with coral respiration and feeding
-nutrients with sediments can cause algal blooms
-turbidity can affect photosynthesis and coral distributions
-increased turbidity = decrease in coral health

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11
Q

How do corals deal with sediments?

A

-mucus entanglement
-ciliary action
-tentacular manipulation
-pulsed inflation

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12
Q

Where are coral reefs located?

A

-limited to the tropics
-generally located in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific and Coral Triangle (cradle of diversity)
due to the sediments in the Amazon river, there is no little development of corals

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13
Q

Fringing reef

A

Margin between land and sea
-low in diversity
-increased wave action
-very harsh environment

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14
Q

Patch reef

A

In between fringing reefs and barrier reefs
-located in the lagoon
-low wave action, not very harsh environmental conditions

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15
Q

Barrier reef

A

-separated from land by lagoon
-high diversity because its influenced diversity brought by open ocean waves

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16
Q

How do atoll reefs form?

A

-atoll reefs form from the subsidence of volcanic islands
-starts as fringing reef->barrier reef->atoll reef
-as the volcano sinks, corals grow vertically

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17
Q

How did the Great Barrier Reef form?

A

-used to be a mountain range and as the sea level lowered, the corals grew vertically

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18
Q

Horizontal/vertical distribution of a general reef

A

-seagrass (nurseries)
-reef flat (harsh, tidally limited, species poor)
-reef crest (barrier reef, very energetic, species poor)
-fore reef

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19
Q

Patch reefs in lagoons

A

-high points of underlying rock allows for corals to settle away from sand
-can be numerous and support diverse communities of corals and fish

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20
Q

Spurs and grooves -shallow fore reef

A

-alternating ridges and sand channels perpendicular to the shore
-formed by incoming waves/erosion or coral growth

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21
Q

Higher vs lower fore reef

A

Higher: high energy/light, branching corals, competition
Lower: less energy/light, massive/foliose corals, sedimentation

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22
Q

Epidermis/ectodermis

A

Includes oral region covering mouth and tentacles

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23
Q

Gastrodermis

A

-Digestion and absorption of nutrients, zoozanthellae
-folds into the coelenteron

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24
Q

Mesoglea

A

Gelatinous connective tissue

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25
Mesenteries
Folds of gastrodermis and mesoglea
26
Digestive/mesenterial filaments
Digestion and defense
27
Aggression in corals
-mesenterial filaments and sweeper tentacles -employed by slow growers -an aggression ‘hierarchy’
28
Nematocysts
-small harpoon, used for food acquisition and defense, delivers venom -cnidocil: hair trigger that triggers discharge of nematocyst -used once and replaced -localized to area where touched
29
Heterotrophy in corals
-digestive enzymes from gastrodermis into the central cavity (coelenteron) -digestion and nutrient absorption in central cavity -coenosarc: connects individual polyps to one another, makes it a colonial organism
30
Branching corals
Have primary and secondary branches
31
Digitate corals
Fingers or clumps of cigars, have no secondary branches or very reduced -fast growing
32
Table corals
Table like structures of fused branches -fast growing
33
Foliose corals
Broad plate-like portions rising above the substrate -low light -found in higher sedimentation -forms funnels to drive sediments downward to base of coral colony, where tissue is typically dead
34
Encrusting coral
Grow as thin layer against substrate -slow growth -spreads in 2D -lateral encrusting coral form
35
Massive corals
Ball-shaped or boulder-like corals -various sizes -3D growth -slow growing
36
Growth rate of reef building corals
-massive corals: main reef builders, slow growing -branching corals: faster growth, but become unstable as they become larger
37
Darwin’s paradox
-nutrient recycling -upwelling -high flux of nutrients across reefs -benthic Cyanobacteria provides N for reefs via nitrogen fixation -coral-zoozanthellae symbiosis
38
Endosymbiosis for corals
-Symbiodinium -single cell dinoflagellates (algae) that live within the tissue of corals -mutualism relationship but partial obligation -corals require, but zoozanthellae can be free living
39
What do symbiodinium get out of partnership?
-place to live -nitrogen -phosphorus -carbon dioxide
40
What do corals get out of partnership ?
-organic matter: symbionts can give 75-98% of photosynthesized C to corals -oxygen -energy -enhanced ability to calcify
41
Symbiodinium and nitrogen
-corals control supply of N -corals don’t have enzymes to deal with excess human-related nitrogen sources, but it still diffused into symbiont cell -symbiont no longer needs to rely on coral cells and they become selfish by refusing to give back carbon
42
What is the role of light in coral growth?
-light-enhanced calcification -presence of carbon is strongly influenced by light, which strongly influences coral growth
43
How does the dominant clade of corals change with depth or dark/light parts of colonies?
-clades A and B dominant at high light, high temp -clade C dominant at low light, shade tolerant
44
Growth of coral clades
Corals hosting clade C tend to grow faster than those hosting clade D
45
Thermal tolerance of coral clades
Corals hosting clade D tend to have wider thermal tolerance than those hosting clade C
46
Factors affecting coral bleaching
-coral bleaching: coral expels symbiotic dinoflagellates due to stress -temp: exposure to anomalous temps for extended periods of time UV radiation:leads to high levels of free radical production by symbionts Increase in temp and length that it is that temp.=more likely for coral to bleach
47
Factors affecting coral bleaching
-coral bleaching:coral expels symbiotic dinoflagellates due to stress -temp:exposure to anomalous temps for extended periods -UV radiation:leads to high amounts of free radicals production of symbionts
48
What happens to algal symbionts at high temps?
-photosynthesis increases then shuts down at high temps (doesn’t give carbon back to coral) -respiration increases at high temps (uses a lot of carbon)
49
What happens inside a coral during bleaching?
-CO2 becomes limiting, used so quickly that animal can’t replace it -energy from sunlight must go somewhere->makes free radicals, which is harmful at high concentrations
50
What drives coral bleaching?
-increase in heat and light availability -leads to harmful radicals -bleaching starts at shallower corals due to higher light intensity
51
Does bleaching kill corals?
-yes if the stress is severe enough -some polyps can die -if bleaching is very severe, the whole colony can die
52
Can corals recover from bleaching?
-yes, if the stress doesn’t last long -some can eat zooplankton, some are more resistant to bleaching -symbionts can be regained, sometimes corals can begin to recover after a few weeks
53
Symbiodinium density
-symbiodinium cells enter and exit host colonies on daily/seasonal basis -done by moving water in and out of cavities -corals can select what symbionts they want to keep
54
Heterotrophy is important for corals
-fed corals have increased photosynthetic rates and protein concentrations -15-35% of daily metabolic requirements when coral is healthy -100% of requirements when bleached
55
Can corals adapt to bleaching?
-using reciprocal transplants-shallow to deep, deep to shallow -corals that survived deep to shallow had Clade D or took up Clade A or D symbionts -low to high light = switch to more stress tolerant clade (D)
56
Core microbes and coral protection
-occlusion:take habitable space on/in corals -antibiotics: inhibit growth of pathogens>50% mucus community produce allelochemicals -can also fix nitrogen, breakdown of waste products, and cycling basic nutrients back to the photosynthetic algal symbionts
57
Coral diseases
-major sources of mortality -could be stress related (thermal and nutrient stress) -competition with algae -stress reduces population of good bacteria
58
Larva
Independent morphological different state that develops from a fertilized egg and undergoes profound change before assuming adult features -important to population replenishment
59
Brooders
-sperm is released into the water column taken into the female morph-both hermaphroditic and gonochoric -Features: competent to settle immediately, planula has maternally derived zoozanthellae, produced yr round
60
Broadcast spawners
-sperm and egg bundles are released into the water column, once per year -bundles float to water, break apart and fertilization starts -development to planula state takes days to weeks -zoozanthellae are acquired from environment
61
Planktotrophic vs lecithotrophic
Planktotrophic:lots of small eggs which hatch quickly and are free swimming in plankton, feeds in water column Lecithotrophic: large, lots of yolk and energy input, less time in water column, energy is already present
62
What are challenges to fertilization success in broadcast spawning corals?
-fertilization success: overcome low population densities and turbulence -timing of gamete release: individuals must release gametes at right time -avoid fertilizing other species
63
Solution to difficulties with broadcast spawners
-mass coral spawning -occurs in summer after full moon -synchronized release of gametes both within and among species -gametes float to surface making it a 2D problem-increases chances of fertilization
64
Spawning cues
-spawners wish to use calm periods (low tide) -shorter calm period=shorter spawning period -increases fertilization/larval retention

EEMB 147 (9 decks)

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