MORE ABOUT BEING BENTHIC
OBJECTIVES:
1. To learn about several benthic communities that thrive in
low-nutrient conditions: the coral reef community and hydrothermal
vent communities.
2. To discover some strategies for living in these low-nutrient
environments; for example, symbiotic relationships.
TEXTBOOK ASSIGNMENT:
Review Chapter 14, pages 283-285.
- Where in the ocean do corals live (Figure 14.13)?
- How do corals thrive in low-nutrient environments? What restrictions
do the zoothanthellae place on where corals can live?
- What causes the phenomenon called "coral bleaching"
(in-class slides)?
Read Chapter 14, pages 285-290.
- What feeding strategies are used by organisms in the deep-sea
floor?
- Why do organisms thrive in the deep-sea area around hydrothermal
vents that lacks sunlight for photosynthesis?
- Why do the giant tubes worms in vent communities need no
mouth, digestive tract, or anus?
TERMS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
- Symbiotic single-celled algae: zoothanthellae
- Coral bleaching
- Chemosynthesis
- Tube worms and bacteria