Coral reefs Abiotic & Biotic factors

The red lionfish (shown below) is a voracious predator of small fish, including young angelfish and parrotfish. In the Caribbean, red lionfish have no natural predators. What is the most likely long-term outcome of the introduction of lionfish to a pristine reef?

• The numbers of stoplight parrotfish and queen angelfish will decrease.
• The numbers of yellowtail snappers and Nassau groupers will decrease.
• The number of long-spined sea urchins will increase.
• All of the above

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

A spike in the popularity of Nassau groupers in American restaurants causes a sharp increase in grouper fishing. How will this affect the population of yellowtail snappers?

•  The number of yellowtail snappers will increase.
• The number of yellowtail snappers will decrease.
• The number of yellowtail snappers will decrease at first, and then increase.
• There will be no effect on yellowtail snapper populations.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What is it called when coral loses its color?

• bleaching
• white out
• colorization

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS2-6

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

What caused the bleaching of a large part of the Great Barrier Reef in 2015-16? 

• oil spill
• underwater heat wave
• formation of iceberg
• mass migration of fish out of area

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Reef-building corals are classified as

• Metamorphic
• Ametamorphic
• Hermatypic
• Ahermatypic

Zooxanthellae are essential to reef-building corals because they:

• Help in the deposition of the calcium-carbonate skeleton
• Provide the coral with protection from predators
• Provide the coral with carbon dioxide
• Provide the coral with protection from predators

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Which of the following is not used directly by corals for nutrition

• Mesenterial filaments
• Photosynthesis
• Mucus
• Tentacles

Why are reef-building corals limited to shallow waters? 

• Salinity varies less in shallow water
• Calcium carbonate is only available in shallow water
• Zooxanthellae need light for photosynthesis
• Nutrients concentrate in shallow water

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

The expulsion of zooxanthellae due to unfavorable conditions is called

• Exudation
• Bleaching
• Decalcification
• Denudation

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Fringing and barrier reefs develop

• Along a coast
• In the open ocean far from land
• Around islands in temperate regions
• Near atolls