Zooxanthellae

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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/zooxanthellae

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 are zooxanthellae and where do they live?They are tiny photosynthetic dinoflagellates that live inside the cells of many sea creatures, especially coral, helping them make food from sunlight.
2. How do zooxanthellae help coral grow and stay healthy?They use sunlight to create food, giving up to 90% of their sugar to the coral, which the coral uses to grow, breathe, and build its hard skeleton.

Obligate Symbiosis: A symbiotic relationship where one or both partners cannot survive without the other.
Scleractinian Corals: Stony corals that secrete calcium carbonate skeletons, forming the structural basis of coral reefs.
Oligotrophic Waters: Marine environments characterized by low nutrient concentrations, often found in tropical and subtropical oceans.