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Ecological intereactions of reef building corals
Citation:
REICHMAN, J. R. Ecological intereactions of reef building corals. Presented at West Salem High School Biology Classes, Salem, OR, November 15, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
Coral reefs are very important marine ecosystems because they support tremendous biodiversity and reefs are critical economic resources many coastal nations.
Description:
Coral reefs are very important marine ecosystems because they support tremendous biodiversity and reefs are critical economic resources many coastal nations. Tropical reef structures are largely built by stony corals. This presentation provides background on basic coral biology then reviews eleven major ecological interactions between stony corals and the environment that affect the health of reefs. The learning objective for students is to be able to describe at least eight of these eleven abiotic and biotic interactions: 1) The distribution of coral reefs is constrained by water temperature, clarity and coastal shoreline. 2) Coral reproduction in mass spawning events is controlled by primarily by water temperature and moon light. 3) Settlement of coral larvae depends on substrate texture, orientation and microbial inoculation of the surface. 4) Stony corals form mutualistic symbioses with photosynthetic microalgae (zooxanthellae, captured from the water or maternally inherited) that provide carbon compounds and energy to the host. 5) Coral colonies can be subject to “bleaching” when the zooxanthellae are adversely affected by elevated water temperature and/or excess UV exposure. 6) As corals grow, they compete with other benthic organisms for space and light. 7) Stony coral build structures that provide habitats for many invertebrates and vertebrates organisms. 8) Corals can be impacted by diseases. 9) Biological invasions and crashes change reef communities.10) Storms can be major physical disturbances to stony corals. 11) Human activity has had both negative and positive effects on coral reefs. The discussion will conclude with a verbal review of the main points and an assessment of student learning.