Coral microbial ecology: Difference between revisions
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==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
Corals are invertebrate marine animals belonging to the phyla Cnidaria and class Anthozoa. They thrive in salty ocean water. Although some corals have been found as deep as 91 m (300 ft), most live optimally at shallower depths of 70 m (230 ft) or less. Corals are either soft or hard, but reefs form only with the presence of hard coral. Soft coral doesn't have the capability to make reefs, but still may be present. Hard corals have calcium carbonate skeleton. | Corals are invertebrate marine animals belonging to the phyla Cnidaria and class Anthozoa. They thrive in salty ocean water. Although some corals have been found as deep as 91 m (300 ft), most live optimally at shallower depths of 70 m (230 ft) or less. Corals are either soft or hard, but reefs form only with the presence of hard coral. Soft coral doesn't have the capability to make reefs, but still may be present. Hard corals have calcium carbonate skeleton. The microbial community found in coral reefs are co-habitating and non-pathogenic consisting of bacteria, archaea, and fungi. They live in the mucus, tissue, and skeleton of coral. These microbes effect the ecosystem's food webs, life cycles, chemical cycles, nutrient cycles, and reugaltion of pathogenic microbes. | ||
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Revision as of 02:59, 8 November 2013
Introduction
Corals are invertebrate marine animals belonging to the phyla Cnidaria and class Anthozoa. They thrive in salty ocean water. Although some corals have been found as deep as 91 m (300 ft), most live optimally at shallower depths of 70 m (230 ft) or less. Corals are either soft or hard, but reefs form only with the presence of hard coral. Soft coral doesn't have the capability to make reefs, but still may be present. Hard corals have calcium carbonate skeleton. The microbial community found in coral reefs are co-habitating and non-pathogenic consisting of bacteria, archaea, and fungi. They live in the mucus, tissue, and skeleton of coral. These microbes effect the ecosystem's food webs, life cycles, chemical cycles, nutrient cycles, and reugaltion of pathogenic microbes.
Zooxanthellae Symbiosis
Disease
Include some current research, with at least one image.
Bleaching
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Current Research
Conclusion
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References
Edited by Emily Stegner, student of Joan Slonczewski for BIOL 116 Information in Living Systems, 2013, Kenyon College.