Coral Reefs and Heat Stress

What is one of the main threats to coral reefs as the Earth's climate changes?

• More frequent hurricanes

• Decreased salinity

• Increased biodiversity

• Rising ocean temperatures

What is the primary focus of Steve Palumbi's research on Ofu Island?

• The impact of pollution on coral reefs

• The effect of ocean currents on coral growth

• How different coral populations respond to heat stress

• The role of fish in coral reef ecosystems

What was the outcome of the initial experiment with corals from different pools?

• Corals from cooler pools died immediately

• Corals from cooler pools were more resistant to bleaching

• Both types of corals showed equal resistance to bleaching

• Corals from warmer pools were more resistant to bleaching

What genetic advantage do corals from warmer pools have?

• They grow faster

• They have better heat tolerance genes

• They are more colorful

• They reproduce more quickly

What is a significant outcome of Palumbi's research on coral heat resistance?

• Corals are unaffected by climate change

• Corals cannot adapt to heat stress

• Corals can change their heat tolerance over time

• Corals from cooler pools are always more resilient

What is the goal of the reef restoration project led by Palumbi and Morikawa?

• To build artificial reefs

• To increase fish populations

• To transplant corals to cooler waters

• To restore a hurricane-damaged reef

What is Megan Morikawa's career goal related to coral research?

• To develop new coral species

• To focus solely on academic research

• To bridge the gap between research and real-world applications

• To work exclusively on tropical rainforests

What is a key factor in the success of coral reef restoration projects?

• Understanding species-specific transplantation success

• Focusing on fish populations

• Transplanting corals from cooler regions

• Using only artificial corals

Why is public awareness important for coral reef conservation?

• It leads to more tourism

• It helps in securing funding for research

• It encourages global action to save reefs

• It increases the demand for coral jewelry

What role do coral reefs play in protecting shorelines?

• They prevent erosion

• They increase wave energy

• They decrease water temperature

• They attract predators