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.
Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, but they are highly sensitive to temperature. Reef-building corals live in symbiosis with microscopic algae (zooxanthellae) that provide energy through photosynthesis. When water temperatures rise even 1–2
Field studies during major El Niño events have shown that not all corals respond the same way. For example:
Massive corals (like brain corals) are more heat-tolerant and often recover after bleaching.
Branching corals (like staghorn and elkhorn) bleach quickly and have high mortality.
Soft corals and some algae-covered reef areas can even expand when other corals die.
Long-term data from NOAA Coral Reef Watch and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority show a direct relationship between sea surface temperature anomalies and bleaching severity. When temperatures remain ≥1
This pattern demonstrates that even within a single habitat, some organisms (massive corals) survive well, some (branching corals) survive less well, and some (bleaching-sensitive species) cannot survive prolonged heat. The same environmental change - rising temperature - produces different survival outcomes depending on each organism’s tolerance.
Table 1.
Temperature Anomaly ( | Bleaching Rate (%) | Branching Coral Survival (%) | Massive Coral Survival (%) | Soft Coral Survival (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 5 | 95 | 98 | 90 |
0.5 | 15 | 80 | 95 | 88 |
1 | 35 | 60 | 85 | 87 |
1.5 | 55 | 40 | 75 | 85 |
2 | 75 | 25 | 65 | 83 |
2.5 | 90 | 10 | 55 | 80 |
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Graph of Information - Figure 2.
Using Table 1, compare the survival rates of branching corals and massive corals as temperature anomalies increase. What pattern do you observe?
Explain why soft corals survive better than branching corals during prolonged heat events, based on information in the reading.
According to Table 1, at which temperature anomaly do branching corals first fall to 40% survival?
According to the reading, what happens when temperatures remain 1
Using Figures 1 - 2 and Table 1, describe the relationship between rising temperature anomalies and the overall structure of reef communities. How do the proportions of coral types change?
Does the data support the claim that increasing ocean temperatures lead to different survival outcomes for different coral types?
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning: