Download Webquest: Symbiosis and Stress in Coral

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Montastrea_cavernosa.jpg
Webquest: Symbiosis And Stress In Coral Polyps
Introduction
You are a reporter preparing a story on coral reefs. You come across this video (if the
video doesn’t appear quickly, open a browser window and paste in the URL!):
http://mwvideo.s3.amazonaws.com/MWV-16/MWV16-CanaryInACoalMIne-mov.mov
Watching this sets your mind off in a number of directions –
“Wow, this algae thingy lives inside the coral and helps feed it!”
“I didn’t know things like coral could have diseases!”
“These reefs are complicated places!”
“Not another effect of global warming!”
“..… Place your train of thought here!….. “
Tasks
1. Define the following terms in your own words and use at least 10 of them in your
report:
Summer 2008 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School
Teachers
Harvard University Life Sciences – HHMI Outreach Program
Microbe, algae, zooxanthellae, symbiosis, coral, cnidarians, reef, disease, abiotic
factors, climate change, colony, calcium carbonate, habitat, niche, biodiversity,
coral bleaching, polyp, producer, photosynthesis, ecosystem
2. Write your article (or make a PowerPoint report) from one of the above perspectives. If
you choose your own you must clear it with me. In every case these topics should be
mentioned in a basic way:
Coral biology: body structure, zooxanthellae, reef building
Reef ecology: abiotic needs, niche of coral, biodiversity of reef
Stresses on coral: disease, pollution, climate change
Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
View “Canary In A Coal Mine”
Browse web sites - use links below
Define terms – they will appear throughout!
Choose a perspective to focus your report
a. 2 pages of text (see me about PowerPoint)
b. Use at least 3 websites. List at the end under ‘References’ (cut and paste
complete URL)
c. If you use any pictures, graphs, etc be sure to credit the source
Links
Basic information on coral biology and reef ecology (Many of these sites have links
which could be valuable):
http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/images/cnidarians.htm
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/coralreef/CRmain.html
http://www.coris.noaa.gov/
http://coralreefs.wr.usgs.gov/facts.html
http://www.uvi.edu/coral.reefer/index.html
http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/gersemiar/aniap.htm
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E5DC1731F932A0575BC0
A9629C8B63&scp=3&sq=Coral+bleaching&st=nyt
Summer 2008 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School
Teachers
Harvard University Life Sciences – HHMI Outreach Program
Climate change
http://www.dtmag.com/Stories/Ocean Ecology/06-02-2feature.htm
http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/african_dust/ofr-03-028.txt
http://www.climateark.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=92530&keybold=
coral climate alarming
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/science/earth/26reef.html?scp=1&sq=coral+
reefs&st=nyt
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/science/17obse2.html?scp=4&sq=coral+reef
s&st=nyt
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/05/opinion/05mon3.html?scp=6&sq=coral+reef
s&st=nyt
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/coralreef/CRclimate.html
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E5DC1731F932A0575BC0
A9629C8B63&scp=3&sq=Coral+bleaching&st=nyt
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moofushi_bleached_corals.JPG
Summer 2008 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School
Teachers
Harvard University Life Sciences – HHMI Outreach Program
Example of coral bleaching
*Teacher Info*
This activity is envisioned to serve two purposes – as a ‘paper’ lab for a marine biology
unit on cnidarians, or as a culminating activity in an ecology unit.
Summer 2008 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School
Teachers
Harvard University Life Sciences – HHMI Outreach Program