Stony corals

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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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/stony-corals

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. How big is Stony corals?Typically 1-3 millimeters in diameter, though colonial structures can span kilometers
2. What is the scientific name?Scleractinia
3. What is the diet?Carnivore (plankton captured via tentacles) and obligate symbiosis with photosynthetic zooxanthellae (Symbiodiniaceae)
4. What are stony corals and why are they called tiny builders?Stony corals are small marine animals that build huge reefs by secreting hard calcium carbonate skeletons. Their many tiny polyps work together to create the big structures we see in the ocean.
5. How do stony corals get their food?They catch tiny plankton with their tentacles and also rely on algae living inside them. The algae do photosynthesis and give the coral up to 90% of its energy.

Scleractinia: The order of stony corals, characterized by their hard calcium carbonate skeletons and reef-building capabilities.
Zooxanthellae: Symbiotic dinoflagellate algae living within coral tissues, providing energy through photosynthesis.
Coral Bleaching: The expulsion of symbiotic algae from coral tissues, usually due to thermal stress, leading to loss of color and energy.
Ocean Acidification: The decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which hinders calcification in corals.