Quizlet: Why Do Coral Reefs Produce So Much?

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, providing ecological and economic services. They are formed by marine invertebrates living in warm shallow waters within the photic zone of the ocean. Coral reefs are highly productive due to tightly cycled nutrients, which are transferred from coral to zooxanthellae and vice versa.

The paradox of coral reefs is that they are highly diverse ecosystems, contain an abundance of organic material, and are highly productive. However, they have been threatened by increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO) over the past two decades. Coral reefs are also found within 30˚ north and south of the photic zone.

The first reason why estuaries and coral reefs are more productive than deeper oceans is the greater amount of sunlight that can reach more organisms. Corals maintain their position by growing upward at the rate that the seafloor is sinking, which doesn’t take sea level rise into account. The productivity of coral reefs is due to high irradiance, nutrient retention, and additional input of new nutrients.

Coral reefs are very productive even though the surrounding ocean water lacks nutrients because nutrients are recycled extensively, nitrogen is fixed on the coral, and symbiotic algae living within the tissues of coral and other species allow them to be highly productive ecosystems. Additionally, equatorial regions receive the highest amount of incoming solar radiation, which drives photosynthesis and supports high primary productivity in these areas.

In conclusion, coral reefs are crucial ecosystems that provide ecological and economic services, but they are also threatened by increasing concentrations of CO and the need for improved nutrient retention and nutrient cycling.

Why are coral reefs among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth?

Coral reefs are vital habitats for a diverse range of marine life, including sponges, oysters, clams, crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, and fish. They are ecologically linked to nearby seagrass, mangrove, and mudflat communities. Coral reefs are highly valued as they serve as a center of activity for marine life. There are three types of coral: hydrocorals (fire coral), octocorals (soft corals), and antipatharians (black corals). Some soft corals have zooxanthellae for food and energy, while others, like black corals, exist without this symbiotic relationship.

Why are coral reefs a productive environment?

Coral reefs serve as vital filter feeders within marine ecosystems, removing toxins and contaminants from the oceans. This process supports the growth and proliferation of diverse plant life. The production of oxygen is contingent upon the presence of clean, clear, and cool water. Coral reefs serve as a significant source of nutrition and income for coastal communities across the globe, and they are popular destinations for activities such as diving, snorkeling, fishing, and other recreational pursuits.

Why are coral reefs so rich in nutrients?

Stony corals, composed of numerous polyps, live together as a colony and secrete limestone skeletons that form the foundation of reefs. They acquire nutritious compounds rich in nitrogen and phosphorus by catching prey like zooplankton with their tentacles. Many coral animals also depend on a symbiosis with microscopic algae that live inside their cells. These photosynthetic algae produce carbon-rich compounds, such as sugars, which are transferred to the host coral for energy.

However, most photosynthetic products are deficient in nitrogen and phosphorous, unable to sustain the growth of the animals. This suggests that coral reefs could face the risk of prolonged nutrient deficiency due to global warming, which is concerning as coral reefs are important underwater ecosystems that provide a home and feeding ground for countless organisms, sustaining around 25 of the world’s ocean biodiversity.

Are coral reefs more productive than rainforests?

Coral reefs exhibit a productivity range of 1, 500-3, 700 grams of fixed carbon per square meter, which exceeds that of tropical rainforests. However, the lowest range is within the range of rainforest productivity, with the two exhibiting minimal overlap.

What is the reason coral reefs are among the most productive?

Coral reefs play a vital role in marine ecosystems, serving as a habitat and food source for numerous species, facilitating nutrient cycling, water filtration, and shoreline protection, and thus contributing to the overall health and stability of marine environments.

Why do coral reefs have such a high biodiversity?

Coral reefs are characterized by high biodiversity due to the presence of diverse microhabitats, elevated nutrient levels, abundant sunlight, and warm temperatures, which collectively create a unique set of conditions that foster the evolution of specialized organisms within the ecosystem.

What conditions allow coral reefs to be highly productive?

Coral reefs are found in various oceans, including shallow and deep water. Reef-building corals, which rely on a symbiotic relationship with algae, require clear water for photosynthesis and tropical or sub-tropical temperatures. Seven U. S. states and territories have coral reefs: Florida, Puerto Rico, U. S. Virgin Islands, Hawaiʻi, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Which ecosystem has the highest productivity?

Tropical rainforests demonstrate the highest productivity of any terrestrial ecosystem, while coral reefs exhibit the highest productivity of any aquatic ecosystem.

What makes coral reefs so high in biodiversity?

Coral reefs are home to millions of other species of animals, plants, and microbes, and their food web is so complex that nothing is wasted. Corals and algae are part of the fuel that drives the coral reef food web, with algae producing so much sugar that not even the coral can eat all of it. The left-over sugar that the coral will not eat is used to produce a slimy mucus, which helps protect the coral from diseases or drying out during low tide.

Bacteria and other microbes eat the mucus, which is then eaten by small critters like crabs, shrimp, snails, and worms living in the water or on the seafloor. Reef fishes feed on these small organisms, and as they digest the foods they have eaten, they eventually poop, returning nutrients into the seawater around the coral. These nutrients are quickly taken up again by algae within the coral, helping them grow and perform photosynthesis.

The feeding and pooping of many animal species on a coral reef create an endless loop, recycling food so efficiently that hardly any nutrients are ever lost. This is why millions of species on a coral reef can survive, even though the seawater around them contains so little food.

However, coral reefs are in danger due to growing human populations. People use coral reefs as food sources, and with more people living close to coral reefs, fewer fish are taken from the reefs, leading to overfished coral reefs. The fewer algae-eating fish cannot keep the algae in check, and some of these algae can overgrow and harm corals.

Climate change is the greatest problem for coral reefs, as it makes the oceans warmer. Corals like tropical warm waters but do not like it too warm. When the sea around corals gets too warm, the tiny symbiotic algae inside the coral will provide less or no sugars to the coral and produce substances that may damage the coral’s tissues. As a result, coral bleaching occurs, where the coral loses its colorful appearance and is cut off from its main food supply: the sugars made by the tiny algae. Bleached corals become weak very quickly and will eventually starve and die if the water stays too warm for too long.

Why coral reefs have a high productivity?

The high productivity of coral reefs is primarily attributable to photosymbioses between coral animals and algae belonging to the Symbiodiniaceae family. These interactions enhance algal photosynthesis by concentrating nutrients and improving light absorption efficiency.

Which of the following is a reason for high biological productivity of coral reefs?

Coral reefs’ high productivity is due to the efficient extraction of dissolved nutrients and organic matter from large volumes of water, high nitrogen fixation rates, and rapid recycling within reefal food webs. Research has shown that subsurface intrusions of Coral Sea water into the central Great Barrier Reef, space-time variability of nutrients in lagoonal patch reefs, and the chemical and biological effect of a Gulf Stream intrusion off St. Augustine, Florida, contribute to the overall health and productivity of coral reefs.