Coral Reef Ecology

On organism that obtains energy by feeding on organic materials

• producer

• chemoautotroph

• consumer

• autotroph

A process in which corals lose their zooxanthellae, usually as a result of abnormally high water temperatures

• coral growth

• coral bleaching

• coral reef

• zooxanthellae reproduction

What is true about coral?

• They are a class of marine animals that grow in colonies of polyps.

• Coral are hard because the polyps secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate.

• coral thrive in warm, shallow, clear, and nutrient-poor oceans.

• coral remain small and consists of only one generatio of polyps

Which of the following describe the events involved in coral bleaching?

• corals turn white

• the water becomes bleach-like, making the coral white

• corals release the zooxanthellae, and then starve

• it occurs when there is abnormally high water temperature

A sequence of organisms in which organisms feeds on the one below.

• food web

• food pyramid

• food chain

• energy pyramid

Which of the following are examples of filter feeders?

• sponges

• whales

• manta rays

• clams

• flamingos

Which of the following are nutrients used by organisms for energy, growth, or other processes essential to life?

• nitrates

• hydroxides

• phosphates

• algae

• xanthates

a decrease in the pH of the ocean, caused by increased absorption of carbon dioxide from Earth's atmosphere.

• Ocean nutrality

• Alkalination of the ocean

• Acidificaation of the ocean

• Increased ocean salinity

Over the past 200 years how has the pH of the ocean changed?

• 7.00 to 6.00

• 8.05 to 5.98

• 8.25 to 8.14

• 7.67 to 7.23

What is pH anyways?

• a measure of how many hydrogen ions there are in a solution

• when there are LOTS of hydrogen ions, the pH is less than 7.

• When there are very little hydrogen ions, the pH is over 7

• On average ocean water is neutral

• Ocean water has an average pH of 8.1