What is the cause of coral bleaching?
Coral bleaching occurs when corals are stressed by a change in environmental conditions. They react by expelling the symbiotic algae that live in their tissues and then turn completely white. The symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae, are photosynthetic and provide their host coral with food in return for protection.
What are zooxanthellae and what is coral bleaching?
When the reef is under stress from high temperatures, pollution, or other threats, the zooxanthellae abandon their coral hosts in a process called “bleaching.” The coral animals can survive for a short time without their main food source by catching particles from the water with their tentacles, but they are more …
What is the relationship between zooxanthellae coral and coral bleaching?
If the polyps go for too long without zooxanthellae, coral bleaching can result in the coral’s death. Because of their intimate relationship with zooxanthellae, reef-building corals respond to the environment like plants. Reef corals require clear water so that sunlight can reach their algal cells for photosynthesis.
How do zooxanthellae affect coral?
Zooxanthellae are provided with a safe place to live within the coral tissue, and they also get to use the coral’s waste products as nutrients to power photosynthesis. The corals, in turn, receive energy in the form of sugars as products of the zooxanthellae’s photosynthesis, providing close to 90% of their energy.
What causes coral bleaching quizlet?
The main cause of coral bleaching is heat stress resulting from high sea temperatures. Temperature increases of only one degree celsius for only four weeks can trigger bleaching events. If this temperatures persist longer periods (eight weeks or more) corals begin to die.
Why do corals expel their zooxanthellae?
In general, when corals experience a thermal stress, the algae that exist within the coral tissues, they’re symbiotic zooxanthellae, the corals will expel them.
What happens to zooxanthellae during coral bleaching?
Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching.
What is the relationship between coral and zooxanthellae quizlet?
Zooxanthellae and coral have a mutualistic, symbiotic relationship. Coral obtains oxygen and organic products from the algae that live within them. These algae also help the coral remove waste. The zooxanthellae obtains needed carbon dioxide and needed nutrients from the coral.
Why are corals and zooxanthellae in a mutualistic relationship?
Zooxanthellae cells provide corals with pigmentation. … They help the coral survive by providing it with food resulting from photosynthesis. In turn, the coral polyps provide the cells with a protected environment and the nutrients they need to carry out photosynthesis.
What causes coral bleaching Brainly?
Answer. A direct cause of coral bleaching is when algae leave the coral. Algae live in a symbiotic relationship withcoral and are what give thecorals their color. Algae can leave coral for the following reasons: warming ocean water, which is the mainreason for coral bleaching.
What is the main stressor that causes coral bleaching quizlet?
When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is called coral bleaching. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality.
What happens to zooxanthellae after coral bleaching?
Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white.