Coral Grade 5 Unit 1
Dec 16, 2015
CoralGrade 5 Unit 1
Topics to be Covered…
• What is coral?• How is coral classified?
• Coral biology• Coral identification• Coral conservation
What is reef coral?Animal, plant, or rock?
• Animals need to get food• Plants make their own food
• Rocks don’t need food
Corals belong to the phylum Cnidaria
Medusa or polyp body forms as adults
Stinging cells called nematocysts
Only one body cavity with a single opening
Examples of Cnidarians
Sea Anemones Jellyfish are cnidarians too!
Coral
Is it an animal?
Reef coral is made of many small individual animals called polyps.
What’s a polyp?
• The basic body form of a coral animal
• Structure like a sac with two walls of cells
• The open end bears the mouth, which is surrounded by tentacles
mouth/anustentacle
body stalk
epidermis
mesoglea
gastrodermisgastrovascular
cavity
Coral as PredatorsCoral must eat - it’s a consumer!
Nematocysts are used to sting, catch, and kill prey
Stinging cells also protect
Coral Reproduction:
Budding
Coral Reproduction:
Broadcast Spawning
Check out this video of broadcast spawning!
Is it a plant?
• Polyps have symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae living in their cells
• Zooxanthellae make food for the polyp through photosynthesis
It has a plant living inside it!
What are zooxanthellae?
• Tiny plant cells that live within coral polyps
• Provide the coral with food resulting from photosynthesis
• In turn, the coral provides protection and access to light for the zooxanthellae
Symbiosis:coral & zooxanthellae
• symbiosis: a close relationship between two organisms usually based on food
• If the zooxanthellae feeds the coral, what does the zooxanthellae get out of the relationship?
Is it a rock?It’s a type of rock!
Coral polyps make a stony structure out of calcium carbonate in which they live
Now you try• Draw a coral on your activity guide
– Include a polyp and zooxanthellae
• Label mouth, stomach, tentacles
• Draw another one next to it
• How do you think they communicate?
Common Hawaiian Coral
Rice Coral
Antler Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Lobe Coral
1
Finger coral
More Hawaiian Coral
Mushroom Coral
Black Coral
Table Coral
porites lobata
Good GuessPut the correct names with the pictures of the coral
Antler Coral
Rice Coral
Finger Coral
Lobe Coral
Cauliflower Coral porites lobata
Antler Coral
Rice Coral
Finger Coral
Lobe Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Good GuessPut the correct names with the pictures of the coral
Put the correct names with the pictures of the coral
Rice Coral
Finger Coral
Lobe Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Antler Coral
Good Guess
Good GuessPut the correct names with the pictures of the coral
Finger Coral
Lobe Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Antler CoralRice Coral
Good GuessPut the correct names with the pictures of the coral
Lobe Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Antler CoralRice Coral
Finger Coral
Good GuessPut the correct names with the pictures of the coral
Cauliflower Coral
Antler CoralRice Coral
Finger CoralLobe Coral
Good GuessPut the correct names with the pictures of the coral
Antler CoralRice Coral
Finger CoralLobe Coral
Cauliflower Coral
Coral is in dangerOcean water is getting warmer
When water gets too warm, zooxanthellae leave the coral tissue
When zooxanthellae leave, corals lose their color AND food supply
CoralBleachin
g
Coral is in danger:Human Impacts on Coral
• Pollution
• Tourism
• Aquarium/Souvenir Trade
• Overfishing
Hawaiian coral needs your protection
• It has no voice• Speak up to educate others about our beautiful coral
The End