Coral Reef Quiz

Corals have a mutualistic symbiosis with which photosynthetic bacteria?

• phytoplankton

• zooplankton

• zooxanthellae

• chemosynthetic bacteria

What do polyps use to make the shell that encases them and forms the hard skeletons of corals?

• calcium carbonate

• calcium sulfate

• sodium carbonate

• sodium sulfate

Where are most coral reefs found?

• near islands or seamounts

• near estuaries

• in the abyssal zone

• below the photic zone

Why are corals found in shallow water?

• to get more interaction with the nitrogen cycle

• zooxanthellae need light to photosynthesize

• to get more interaction with the carbon cycle

• to be protected from deep sea predators

Which is needed for optimal coral growth?

• dim lighting

• broad range of pH

• high water clarity

• soft substrate

Coral's stinging cells are called:

• nematodes

• nematocells

• nematocysts

• nematostings

Which is NOT a type of coral reef?

• atoll

• estuarian reef

• barrier reef

• fringing reef

What is the most common type of coral reef?

• Atoll

• barrier reef

• benthic reef

• fringing reef

What reef has a lagoon between it and the land mass?

• Atoll

• barrier reef

• abyssal reef

• fringing reef

What reef is created by the erosion of a volcanic island, leaving only water in the middle?

• Atoll

• barrier reef

• estuarian reef

• fringing reef