Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
A coral reef ecosystem relies on a delicate balance of energy flow and matter cycling. At the base of the reef food web are photosynthetic algae, including both free-living plankton and the microscopic algae that live inside coral tissue. These producers capture sunlight and convert it into chemical energy.
Corals use the nutrients and sugars produced by the algae to build their hard calcium carbonate skeletons. Small reef fish and invertebrates feed on algae and coral mucus, transferring energy up the food chain to larger fish, sea turtles, and predators such as reef sharks.
When organisms excrete waste or die, decomposers like bacteria break down the organic material, releasing nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus back into the water. These nutrients are then reused by algae, closing the loop of matter cycling.
In this way, energy flows from sunlight to producers and through consumers, while matter - in the form of carbon, nitrogen, and minerals - cycles between the living and nonliving parts of the reef ecosystem.
Table 1.
Trophic Level | Example Organisms | Average Biomass (kg/m | Energy Available (kcal/m |
|---|---|---|---|
Producers | Algae, Zooxanthellae | 3 | 20000 |
Primary Consumers | Coral polyps, herbivorous fish | 0.5 | 3000 |
Secondary Consumers | Small predatory fish | 0.08 | 400 |
Tertiary Consumers | Reef sharks, barracuda | 0.02 | 50 |
Decomposers | Bacteria, marine fungi |
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Using Table 1, describe the pattern of biomass from producers to tertiary consumers in the coral reef ecosystem.
Explain how decomposers contribute to matter cycling in a coral reef ecosystem.
Which statement best explains why producers have the highest available energy in the coral reef ecosystem?
Does the data support the idea that energy decreases at each successive trophic level in the coral reef?
Compare the energy available to primary consumers and secondary consumers. What does this difference show about energy flow in the reef?
Which process MOST helps return nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus back to reef producers?