Carbon Cycle
What gas moves through the carbon cycle and is taken in by plants during photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
What happens to ocean pH when more carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater?
pH decreases (the ocean becomes more acidic).
What tiny animal builds coral reefs?
Coral polyps
What term describes the variety of living organisms in an ecosystem?
Biodiversity
What is reef resilience?
describes the ability of a reef to recover after disturbances like bleaching or storms
What process do plants use to convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into glucose?
Photosynthesis
What acid forms when carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater?
Carbonic acid
What microscopic algae live inside coral tissue and provide energy through photosynthesis
Zooxanthellae
A reef with many different fish, coral and invertebrate species would be described as having what level of biodiversity?
High biodiversity
What term describes the structural complexity of a reef that provides habitat for many organisms?
Rugosity
What process releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere when organisms break down glucose for energy?
Cellular respiration
What important compound used by corals and shellfish decreases during ocean acidification?
Calcium carbonate
What happens to corals during a bleaching event?
Corals expel zooxanthellae and turn white.
What index do scientists use to measure biodiversity based on species richness and abundance?
Simpson’s Diversity Index (SDI)
Which nearby ecosystems help reefs by providing nursery habitat for juvenile fish?
Mangroves and seagrass meadows
Name two human activities that increases atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, or industrial processes
Why does ocean acidification make it harder for corals to build skeletons?
It reduces carbonate ions needed to form calcium carbonate skeletons.
What environmental factor most commonly triggers coral bleaching events?
Increased ocean temperature
If one species dominates an ecosystem and few other species are present, biodiversity will do what?
Decrease
What ecological concept describes multiple species performing similar roles in an ecosystem?
Functional redundancy
Explain how deforestation disrupts the carbon cycle.
Removing trees reduces CO₂ absorption through photosynthesis, increasing atmospheric CO₂.
Explain how rising atmospheric CO₂ leads to ocean acidification.
CO₂ dissolves into seawater, forms carbonic acid, lowers pH, and reduces carbonate ions.
Explain why prolonged bleaching can lead to coral death.
Without zooxanthellae, corals lose their main energy source and can starve.
Why are ecosystems with higher biodiversity usually more stable?
Multiple species perform similar roles so ecosystems continue functioning if one species declines.
What ecological process allows larvae to travel from one reef to another and help damaged reefs recover?
Connectivity or larval dispersal