What challenges are faced by coral reefs today? What is the advantage of living in the tropical ocean
which contains few nutrients? Hint: include reference to the National Geographic segment about the
Southern Line Islands What will be an ideal response?
ANS:Answer
should include:
? Reference to the National Geographic segment on the Line Islands explains that coral
reefs are highly threatened by humans, overfishing and exploitation.
? In addition, climate change stressors including ocean acidification and temperature
stress are leading to coral decline.
? Low nutrients are better for corals because they keep algal growth at low levels. The
low nutrient levels are accommodated for by the great diversity of organisms living
within the reef system.
? Symbiosis and in particular mutualism is an example of specialized dinoflagellates that
live within the coral animal’s tissue and provide the coral with a built-in source of food
and carbohydrates.
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Venus and Earth started out with roughly the same amount of water. While Earth still has water in abundance, all of Venus' was lost. Where did it go?
A. It chemically combined with CO2 to form CO4H. B. Scientists are still trying to determine this. C. Ultraviolet rays split the hydrogen from the oxygen components, and the hydrogen escaped into space. D. It all evaporated into space due to the intense daytime heat of 470°C.
Which of the following statements about Earth is NOT true?
A) It has an elliptical orbit. B) Its rotational axis is pointed toward Polaris. C) It is closest to the Sun in July. D) It is closest to the Sun at perihelion.
How can "fracking" negatively impact the environment?
A) ?It can increase the potential of seismic activity. B) ?It can increase fish populations resulting in the decline of important kelp forests. C) ?It can decrease pH levels in localized waters, thus increasing ocean acidity. D) ?It can increase flooding in farming communities.
Today, North America has several small- to medium-sized plates subducting beneath its ________.
A. eastern margin B. northern margin C. southeastern margin D. western margin E. margins, all around the North American Plate