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DIVERSITY OF LIVING
THINGS
SBI 3U1: UNIT #1
(A Fringing Reef.......vacation, anyone??)
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
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It is the number of different species of all living
organisms in a given area.
Also called biological diversity
STSE ARTICLE DEFINITIONS
Symbiosis: comes from the words " sym " which means
together and " biosis " which means life.
Symbiosis occurs when two organisms create a union in
which each is benefited by the other.
ARTICLE DEFINITIONS
Coral: lives a symbiotic life. Inside the sac of
each coral polyp lives a one-celled algae called
zooxanthellae (zoo-zan-thel-y). The algae gives off
oxygen and other nutrients that the coral polyp
needs to live.
In return, the coral polyp gives the algae
carbon dioxide and other substances the algae
needs.
CORALS
Though corals get most of their food from the byproducts of algae's photosynthesis, they
also have barbed, venomous tentacles they can stick out, usually at night, to grab
zooplankton and even small fish.
So......
Algae are plants or
protists – depending on
who you talk to.
They need sunshine to use
photosynthesis so they can
provide food and oxygen
to the coral. That is why
coral reefs grow near the
surface of the water
where it is sunniest.
PHOTOSYTNTHESIS: the
process why which plants
use chlorophyll to trap
sunlight energy and use it
to produce glucose.
CORAL REEFS
Photosynthesis:
light
CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER
OXYGEN + GLUCOSE
 Photosynthesis is the food-making process for producers, which
we often call plants
 Photosynthesis is where carbon dioxide and water are combined
within a specialized part of a cell (called a chloroplast), in the
presence of light, to form the 'cell food' molecule called glucose and
with a waste product of oxygen.
 This will only happen in cells with chloroplasts (in which there is the
molecule called chlorophyll that is involved).
 Without photosynthesis all life forms (plants and animals) would use
up the oxygen on Earth and it would only be found as carbon
dioxide
CORAL:
The large structures
people see and think of
as coral are actually
made up of thousands
of coral organisms called
coral polyps and the
skeletons their
predecessors have left
behind.
Corals are animals, but
many kinds of coral
depend on plants for
survival.
Deeper Examination....
The individual coral polyp is a hollow, cylindrical animal (1).
The mouth is surrounded by tentacles armed with stinging cells
for capturing plankton. During the day these tentacles are
folded in the digestive sac (2).
Microscopic single-celled algae that give the coral its green,
blue or brown colour are located in the tissue of the living
coral (3). These symbiotic algae process the wastes produced
by the polyps. They use the nitrates, phosphates and carbon
dioxide produced in the polyp. Through photosynthesis they
generate oxygen and organic compounds which the polyps
themselves can use. They may also help the polyp lay down
calcium carbonate.
In addition to their role as primary producers, the other algae
coating much of the reef's surfaces also produce substantial
amounts of calcium carbonate. Algae are so important to reef
life that it has been suggested that "coral-algal reefs" is a
more accurate term than coral reefs
BEAUTIFUL CORAL....
They are restricted to
shallow waters of tropical
and subtropical regions.
Coral ecosystems require:
1)
1)fully marine waters
2)
2) warm temperatures
3) ample sunlight
MORE DEFINITIONS.....
Ecosystem: a biotic (living) community of plants
and animals and its abiotic (non-living) environment
functioning as a system
E.g. – marine ecosystem, tundra ecosystem

Endangered Species: a species that is close to
extinction
E.g. – corals
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WHO CARES ABOUT CORAL?
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provide protection and shelter for many different species of fish.
Without coral reefs, these fish are left homeless with nowhere to live
and no where to have their babies.
Not only do these fish increase the diversity of our world, but also
reef fish and mollusks feed between 30 and 40 million people
every year.
And coral are very important in controlling how much carbon
dioxide is in the ocean water. Coral polyp turns carbon dioxide in
the water into a limestone shell. Without coral, the amount of carbon
dioxide in the water would rise dramatically and that would affect
all living things on Earth.
In addition, coral reefs are very important because they protect
coasts from strong currents and waves by slowing down the water
before it gets to the shore. That is why they are called barrier reefs.
They provide a barrier between the ocean and the shore.
REFERENCES
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Taken from:
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/coral/coral4.htm
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Coral_reef
http://marine-life.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_symbiotic_relationship_between_coral_and_alg
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