Melody
Mar 30th 2008, 09:34 AM
March 24th, 2008
“It’s an incredibly intricate relationship in which the corals feed the algae and try to control their diet, and the algae in turn use sunlight to produce “junk food” – carbohydrates and fats – for the corals to consume.
“Where it all breaks down is when heated water lingers over the reef and the corals expel the algae and then begin to slowly starve to death. This is the bleaching phenomenon Australians are by now so familiar with, and which is such a feature of global warming.”
Probably common knowledge in Marine circles, but I find any example of symbiosis interesting so I clicked to read about it. I didn't know it was a crucial factor impacted by global warming. They're studying it to see if corals will in fact utilize another algae if they can't maintain 'crops' of the current variety.
“Coral symbiosis takes place mainly in clear, clean nutrient-poor waters where food is so scarce the corals need a partner to help feed them.
“We know for example the corals provide carbon as CO2 which is processed by the algae to reprocess into carbohydrates and fats using energy from sunlight, so they can feed. It’s a beautiful recycling process.
“The corals control the diet of the algae, to ensure it produces what they need. You could say they farm the algae, much as we farm crops.
“And the algae serve as the junk food chefs, providing the corals favourite food to order."
Read more here (http://www.physorg.com/news125570225.html)!
“It’s an incredibly intricate relationship in which the corals feed the algae and try to control their diet, and the algae in turn use sunlight to produce “junk food” – carbohydrates and fats – for the corals to consume.
“Where it all breaks down is when heated water lingers over the reef and the corals expel the algae and then begin to slowly starve to death. This is the bleaching phenomenon Australians are by now so familiar with, and which is such a feature of global warming.”
Probably common knowledge in Marine circles, but I find any example of symbiosis interesting so I clicked to read about it. I didn't know it was a crucial factor impacted by global warming. They're studying it to see if corals will in fact utilize another algae if they can't maintain 'crops' of the current variety.
“Coral symbiosis takes place mainly in clear, clean nutrient-poor waters where food is so scarce the corals need a partner to help feed them.
“We know for example the corals provide carbon as CO2 which is processed by the algae to reprocess into carbohydrates and fats using energy from sunlight, so they can feed. It’s a beautiful recycling process.
“The corals control the diet of the algae, to ensure it produces what they need. You could say they farm the algae, much as we farm crops.
“And the algae serve as the junk food chefs, providing the corals favourite food to order."
Read more here (http://www.physorg.com/news125570225.html)!