Coral Reef Ecosystem

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Trophic Levels in the Ocean

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What is Coral?

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Where are the Coral Reef Ecosystems?

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https://time.com/coral/

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Coral Reef Organisms

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coral-reef-illustration-key.pdf
File Size:	763 kb
File Type:	pdf

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https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/marine-food-webs/

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Activity:

Select 6 organisms from the food web and learn more about them.
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For each of them find:

• common name of organism
• list of predators, if applicable
• list of prey, if applicable

Consider and answer the following:

• Which species are only predators? Which are only prey? Which are both?
• What would happen to the food web if one species were to become endangered or extinct? Which species would be affected? Which ecosystem would be affected?
• Why is phytoplankton so important to marine food webs?
• What happens to the amount of energy/biomass that is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
• What roles do humans play in marine food webs?

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How can human actions upset the balance of an ocean ecosystem?
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Parts of the Coral Reef Food Web

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Abiotic Factors in a Coral Reef Abiotic factors can impact the health and development of a coral reef
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Coral Reef Food Web Primary Producers The primary producers in a coral reef food web include plants and seaweed

Coral Reef Food Web Primary Producers to First Order Consumers
Energy produced by producers in a coral reef food web flows to first-order consumers.

Coral Reef Food Web First Order Consumers to Intermediate Predators
Intermediate predators prey on first-order consumers in this coral reef food web.
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Coral Reef Food Web Intermediate Predators to Top Predators
Top predators prey on intermediate predators in this coral reef food

​Coral Reef Food Web: Decomposers
Decomposers are an integral part of food webs.
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Article Reading

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https://time.com/coral/

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Human Activity Puts Ocean Ecosystems at Risk

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​A more stressful environment can lead to less disease resistance

Stem Cells have the DNA Code for the entire starfish and divide through mitosis

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Coral Reef Restoration

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More Eco-friendly Energy Production

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Solar Power:
https://www.ecowatch.com/freezing-temperatures-us-2641328301.html?fbclid=IwAR1yL2cBAP9bZSXR5NtCNQ7vzhrjL6waER58R-KntQXCEkDMAcu_ezd3OVM 

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Protein SYnthesis in Coral

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Green fluorescent protein, or GFP is used by corals to glow and reflect sunlight and this is a good opportunity to review protein synthesis.
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GFP in Coral:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5381437/

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Weather PatTerns

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