Transcript Document
Marine Mystery – a watery who-dunnit! Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by ocean! The rainforests of the sea • Coral reefs only make up 1% of the Earth’s surface, but they are home to over 25% of all marine life! Coral and zooxanthellae: so happy together! • Single-celled plants live in the tissues of the coral • They provide food for the coral in exchange for a home Photosynthesis: Helping plants grow for over 2.3 billion years! Plants in the ocean need the same ingredients to live and grow as plants on land: Carbon dioxide + water Carbon dioxide Water food + oxygen Organic carbon Oxygen Coral bleaching: Life in the lurch Coral bleaching is when corals turn white because they lose their zooxanthellae. Caused by: increased water temperature changes in sunlight/UV radiation sedimentation chemical pollution Global warming • Burning fossil fuels, like coal and gas, increases the amount of CO2 in the air and oceans. • CO2 keeps solar heat trapped near the Earth’s surface, and this slowly warms up the land and oceans. • Zooxanthellae can’t photosynthesize in very warm water and they abandon the coral. Sedimentation • Human land use (for farms, mines, or buildings) loosens soil and increases erosion. • Dirt gets washed into the ocean where it can block out light and even smother corals. Nutrients and algal blooms • Much like dirt, fertilizers that are used to grow food can also get washed off the land and into the ocean. • These nutrients can cause algal cells to reproduce rapidly, and they can block out light too. Red colored algae Industrial pollution • Factories that build anything from cars to carpets create waste. • This type of pollution can either poison the coral or keep it from being able to eat and reproduce effectively. Environmental Suspects! Threat to coral Effect Global warming Increases ocean temperature beyond range that corals can live Sedimentation Soil particles block out light and smother coral Algal cells block out light Algal bloom Industrial Plant Toxic compounds can poison coral Marine mystery rules 1. Listen when someone else is talking. – Raise your hand to ask a question. 2. Each person is only allowed to find one clue. 3. Everyone must gather in a circle before looking for the next clue. – Everyone gets a chance to see the clue.