List of reefs

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/list-of-reefs

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary biogenic structure?Skeletal remains of scleractinian corals and associated calcifying organisms
2. What is the threat level?Highly vulnerable to climate change (bleaching, acidification) and local stressors (pollution, overfishing)
3. What are underwater cities made of?They are built by tiny animals called corals that create hard skeletons from calcium carbonate.
4. Why are coral reefs called amazing underwater cities?Because they have many tiny homes for fish and other sea creatures, making them very busy and colorful.

Scleractinian Corals: Hard corals that form the primary structural component of most tropical reefs through their calcium carbonate skeletons.
Zooxanthellae: Symbiotic dinoflagellates residing within coral tissues, providing corals with essential nutrients through photosynthesis.
Ocean Acidification: The ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide, hindering calcification.
Coral Bleaching: The phenomenon where corals expel their symbiotic algae due to environmental stress, leading to loss of color and potential mortality.