Carl Reefs 3 Flashcards

1
Q

name the factors which shape the distribution of coral reefs ****
10!

A
  • Salinity
  • Hard Substrate
  • Water Temperature
  • Water depth
  • Sedimentation
  • Wave action
  • Emersion
  • Water
  • Air
  • Light
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2
Q

Between what latitudes do coral reefs typically occur?

A

30N and 30S

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3
Q

whats the scientific name for stony coral

A

Scleractinian

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4
Q

What is the typical temperature restriction of corals?

  • average
  • upper range
A
  • average of above 20*C year round
  • greatest diversity in indo pac ~27*C
  • lethal limits in range of 30-35*C
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5
Q

what temperature events make corals vulnerable?

A
  • atmospheric warming
  • El Nino
  • La Nina
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6
Q

where are corals usually found on a global level due to GEOTROPIC ROTATIONAL PATTERS OF OCEAN CURRENTS respectively? (check out slide 5/39 to compare)

A

-Further North and South on the Eastern side of continents in the Northern and Southern hemispheres

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7
Q

why do corals extend further north on Eastern side of continents?

A

the currents rise up along all eastern shores of continents save antartica

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8
Q

what is the correlation between temperature and species tolerance?

A

-corals that live in warmer waters can typically tolerate warmer temperatures than those which live in cooler waters

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9
Q

how does temperature tolerance of certain zooxanthellae in warmer waters forshadow future environmental hurdles?

A

some strains of zooxanthellae can handle appreciably warmer temperatures than others, and can therefore survive heating events better than those without. perhaps greater chance of tolerating climate change

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10
Q

when do corals bleach?

A

when the coral animal host is stressed and expels the symbiotic zooxanthellae.

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11
Q

what is the most significant cause of bleaching events?

A

sea surface temperatures that exceed the normal summer maxima by 1 or 2 degrees celcius for at least 4 weeks.

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12
Q

what happens when the zooxanthellae are stressed by prolonged raised temperatures? (biologically)

A

excessive production of toxic compounds in the algae that are transferred to the host coral.

  • coral expels algae
  • coral is especially susceptible to death by starvation or disease
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13
Q

what is the term associated with the death of coral? why?

A

phase shift.

-the environment has hit a new equilibrium, one that supports a markedly lower diversity of animals

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14
Q

when was the warmest july on record globally, and by how much?

A

july 1998

temp was 0.84*I above the mean

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15
Q

what happened to reefs in 1998?

A

global mass bleaching event where 50% of the reefs on the great barrier reef suffered bleaching

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16
Q

aside from 1998, when was there another mass bleaching event? why?

A

2002, 60% of reefs were affected.
-two periods of hot weather resulted in sea surface temperatures a few degrees centigrade higher than the long-term summer maxima

17
Q

what drives hurricanes?

what do hurricanes cause? (environmentally)

A

thermal energy stored in water.

-great winds, large waves, and great coastal precipation

18
Q

what is the significance of two back-to-back record hot years? (historically)

A

historically only once in every 1500 pairs of years. now odds are one in 10.

19
Q

about how much percent are australia’s reefs affected by local threats, and what are these?
what percentage is high or very high threat?

A

15%

  • coastal development, marine-based pollution and damage, overfishing, destructive fishing, watershed-based pollution
  • ~2%
20
Q

what is the likely reason why there are no significant reefs off the coast of brazil?

A

large fresh water plumes into the ocean (Amazon)