CoralsCorals

Landlords of the Landlords of the ReefsReefs

What should you know What should you know about corals?about corals?

They are animalsThey are animals Plants live Plants live inside of theminside of them

Two kindsTwo kinds Soft coralsSoft corals Hard corals (These Hard corals (These build reefs!)build reefs!)

They are made of They are made of tiny polyps tiny polyps (which (which look like upside-down look like upside-down jellyfish)jellyfish)

Hard CoralsHard CoralsThe Reef BuildersThe Reef Builders

Polyps build hard Polyps build hard limestone cups limestone cups around their basesaround their bases

The cups cement The cups cement together to make a together to make a coral colonycoral colony

Reefs are made of Reefs are made of hundreds of hard hundreds of hard coral colonies coral colonies next to and on top next to and on top of each otherof each other

What’s a Polyp?What’s a Polyp? Tentacles release Tentacles release stinging cells when stinging cells when something brushes something brushes by themby them

Polyps make their Polyps make their own limestone cup own limestone cup to hide in during to hide in during the daythe day

At night, polyps At night, polyps come out to catch come out to catch plankton floating plankton floating by.by.

Zoo-what!?! Zoo-what!?! Algae, Coral Polyps’ Algae, Coral Polyps’

TenantsTenants

Inside polyps live Inside polyps live zooxanthellae, which are algae.zooxanthellae, which are algae.

Zooxanthellae give corals their Zooxanthellae give corals their color.color.

Since algae are plants, they Since algae are plants, they use sunlight and COuse sunlight and CO22 to make to make food (the process known as food (the process known as photosynthesis).photosynthesis).

Symbiosis:Symbiosis:So Happy TogetherSo Happy Together

Two organisms living together and Two organisms living together and helping each other is called helping each other is called symbiosissymbiosis.. Zooxanthellae make oxygen, remove Zooxanthellae make oxygen, remove the polyp’s wastes, and make food the polyp’s wastes, and make food for the polyp from photosynthesis.for the polyp from photosynthesis.

Coral polyps protect the Coral polyps protect the zooxanthellae, release COzooxanthellae, release CO22, and , and provide it with necessary nutrients provide it with necessary nutrients from their own waste.from their own waste.

Mutually Beneficial Mutually Beneficial SymbiosisSymbiosis

A Win-Win SituationA Win-Win Situation

Egyptian Plover bird and Egyptian Plover bird and crocodilecrocodile

Bumblebee and flowersBumblebee and flowers Lichens (fungi and algae)Lichens (fungi and algae) Your intestine and bacteriaYour intestine and bacteria

Parasitic Symbiosis Parasitic Symbiosis A Win-Lose SituationA Win-Lose Situation

Tapeworms and intestinesTapeworms and intestines Ticks and dogsTicks and dogs Mistletoe and treesMistletoe and trees

How are these mutually How are these mutually symbiotic?symbiotic?

Drivers and passengers in a Drivers and passengers in a carpoolcarpool

Tenants and landlordsTenants and landlords