Coral Grade 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 AnemonesJellyfish 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/anus tentacle body stalk epidermis mesoglea gastrodermis gastrovascular cavity

Coral as Predators Coral 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 Guess Put 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 Guess Put the correct names with the pictures of the coral

Rice Coral Finger Coral Lobe Coral Cauliflower Coral Antler Coral Good Guess

Put the correct names with the pictures of the coral Finger Coral Lobe Coral Cauliflower Coral Antler Coral Rice Coral

Good Guess Put the correct names with the pictures of the coral Lobe Coral Cauliflower Coral Antler Coral Rice Coral Finger Coral

Good Guess Put the correct names with the pictures of the coral Cauliflower Coral Antler Coral Rice Coral Finger Coral Lobe Coral

Good Guess Put the correct names with the pictures of the coral Antler Coral Rice Coral Finger Coral Lobe Coral Cauliflower Coral

Coral is in danger Ocean water is getting warmer When water gets too warm, zooxanthellae leave the coral tissue When zooxanthellae leave, corals lose their color AND food supply Coral Bleaching

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