Coral reef
What are corals?
Corals might look like plants growing on the ocean floor but don’t be fooled, they’re actually a type of marine animal and part of the same group as jellyfish.Corals are invertebrates that belong to a large group of animals called Cnidaria, which are characterised by their stinging tentacles.
What are Mangroves?
A mangrove is a tree or shrub that grows mainly in tropical coastal and swamp areas. A mangrove ecosystem is the entire environment that surrounds the mangrove trees. This includes other plants, animals, soil and microorganisms. They all depend on each other for survival.
What is a polyp?
Each individual coral is made of a polyp – a clear, tube-shaped structure attached to a surface at one end and open at the other – with a ring of stinging tentacles surrounding the open end, or mouth.
What is a propagule?
A propagule is a viviparous seedling that begins to grow while still attached to the parent tree.Once mature, it drops into the water, floats, and eventually roots in the soil to grow into a new mangrove tree.
What is coral bleaching?
When corals are stressed, they expel the zooxanthellae from their tissues. Without the algae to provide colour, coral polyps turn clear again and reveal their white skeletons. This is called coral bleaching.
Name the 4 main mangroves found in Jamaica.
Red Mangroves, Black Mangroves, Buttonwood Mangroves and White Mangroves.
Name 2 species of corals?
Hard corals and soft corals
What species of mangroves is the most dominant in Jamaica?
The Black Mangroves
What is zooxanthellae?
This is a type of symbiotic algae lives within coral tissues and provides up to 90% of the coral's energy needs through photosynthesis, but when stressed, corals expel it—leading to bleaching.
What is the buttonwood or Conocarpus erectus?
This tree, often found furthest inland in a mangrove forest, is not considered a true mangrove because it lacks viviparous seedlings and specialized roots for saltwater survival.