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The Importance and Status of Florida Coral Reefs: Questions and Answers1 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. SL 305 The Importance and Status of Florida Coral Reefs: Questions and Answers1 Cory J. Krediet, Kim Ritchie, and Max Teplitski2 Introduction A: Corals are invertebrate animals that live in marine environments. Most corals are colonial Coral reefs are some of the most productive and animals, with each colony consisting of myriads of diverse ecosystems in the world; however, they are individual polyps, all of the same origin (Figure 1). also some of the most threatened. Here we address a Like some of their relatives (jellyfish and sea number of the most common questions regarding anemones), most corals form mutually beneficial coral reef biology, coral reef health, and the relationships (symbioses) with single-celled ecological and economic benefits coral reefs dinoflagellates and bacteria. The symbiotic provide. dinoflagellates are commonly referred to as “zooxanthellae.” In this relationship, the polyp (an Q: What exactly is a coral? animal) provides a protective environment and nitrogen-containing nutrients to the zooxanthellae that live within the animal cells. In turn, the zooxanthellae fix dissolved CO through 2 photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates that the coral animal can use. Corals assimilate carbohydrates for their own nutritional needs and then excrete the excess onto the coral surface in the form of mucus. Coral mucus mostly consists of carbohydrates and Figure 1. A) An elkhorn coral colony, Acropora palmata. proteins. Mucus can protect the coral from damage Each colony contains thousands of individual polyps caused by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, drying at low similar to those in (B). Photograph by Cory Krediet (South tides, and harmful bacterial colonization. Corals also Water Caye, Belize); B) An individual polyp of Aiptasia pallida, a model organism for coral studies. The brown use mucus to help remove sediment from their upper color is due to pigments in the zooxanthellae. Photograph surfaces. In addition to carbohydrates that can be by A. Alagely (UF). transferred to the coral by the zooxanthellae, coral 1. This document is SL 305, one of a series of the Soil and Water Science Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date August 2009. Revised May 2010. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Cory J. Krediet, graduate fellow, Department of Soil and Water Science; Kim Ritchie, staff scientist, Mote Marine Laboratory, courtesy faculty, Department of Soil and Water Science; Max Teplitski, assistant professor, Department of Soil and Water Science; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. The Importance and Status of Florida Coral Reefs: Questions and Answers 2 polyps are capable of capturing food using their many types of fish and lobsters. Mucous slime tentacles (suspension feeding). secreted by corals is high in polysaccharides and proteins. The slime is an important food source for The roles of bacteria in this symbiosis are much some plankton consumed by commercially harvested less clear. They are hypothesized to fix atmospheric fish species. Florida coral reefs provide habitat for nitrogen for their polyp and zooxanthellae partners, more than 6,000 species of marine life and support but they may also produce various antibiotic commercial and recreational fishing industries that compounds that function to protect against infection. generate approximately $60 million annually (NOAA 1995; Bhat 2003). Q: What are coral reefs? In addition to providing food and habitat for A: Corals are found in many parts of the planet, other species, corals—especially soft corals—are but their distribution is limited by environmental being explored for their medicinal properties. conditions (especially light and temperature). Coral Chemicals purified from corals have promising reefs are typically found in shallow waters between anticancer and antibacterial properties. The estimated 30°north and 30°south latitudes. However, there value of the planet's coral reef resources is $375 are some non-reef-forming coral species that live in billion a year (Costanza et al. 1997). deep water, and some, like those belonging to the genus Lophelia, thrive in the deep ocean as far north Florida reefs are a major tourist attraction. as Norway. Visitors spend an estimated $460–$1,087 on each individual trip to a reef (Park et al. 2002). In Corals can be divided into those that produce southeast Florida, coral reefs contribute at least $4.4 calcium carbonate skeletons ("hard corals") and those billion annually to local economies (based on that build a protein-based skeleton ("soft corals"). expenditures by residents and visitors of Palm Beach, The former group includes the reef-building corals Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties) and and is the type discussed in this publication. The latter directly provide employment for 98,000 people group contains sea fans, sea rods and sea whips. (Johns et al. 2001). Coral reefs are calcium carbonate structures that The “use value,” or maximum amount of are built by some species of hard corals and grow money that reef users are willing to pay to maintain over time. The coral polyps remove dissolved carbon the reefs in their existing condition and to add more dioxide and calcium from the ocean water and artificial reefs to the system in the aforementioned combine the substances to form limestone (calcium Florida counties (from June 2000 to May 2001), was carbonate) that is laid under each polyp to form a estimated to be $8.5 billion (Johns et al. 2001). solid structure. A living, hard coral consists of a thin layer of connected polyps on top of a limestone coral Q: What factors have led to coral reef skeleton. Typically the growth rate of this skeleton is decline worldwide? rather slow (0.5–2 cm per year), but favorable conditions can lead to more rapid growth (Edmunds A: Extensive coral mortality can be caused by 2007). catastrophic natural events (storms, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions). Ship groundings, boat anchor Q: Why are coral reefs important to damage, poaching, and damage to corals from economies? recreational diving can have a significant, negative impact on coral reef ecosystems, especially in densely A: According to the United Nations Atlas of the populated coastal areas like Florida (Bellwood et al. Oceans, reefs support the economies of at least 100 2004). Loss of seaweed-eating fish and sea urchins countries by helping to provide food for more than from overharvest and/or disease has resulted in one billion people (UN 2010). While corals are not overgrowth of some reefs by macroalgae (seaweeds). edible themselves, coral reefs provide habitat for The macroalgae can cause coral death by many commercially important species, including overgrowing, shading out or increasing sediment load Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. The Importance and Status of Florida Coral Reefs: Questions and Answers 3 on corals. In many developing nations, sediment Q: What are coral diseases and runoff from land-clearing activities has negatively where do they come from? impacted coral reef health (Mumby and Steneck 2008). A: Beginning in the early 1980s, the proportion of corals within the Florida Keys National Marine Ocean acidification tends to lead to the Sanctuary affected by coral diseases increased dissolution of the calcium carbonate skeleton (which dramatically (Causey 2008). In 1996, 11 species of is not unlike the effects of carbonated beverages on corals were affected; by 1998, 35 species (85% of all our teeth). Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean species) were affected by some type of disease. acidification has increased as evidence by the decreasing pH of the oceans (Fung et al. 2005). This Many organisms that cause coral diseases are not is a concern for reef scientists as coral skeletons are dedicated pathogens but are opportunistic. made from limestone that dissolves when pH is Opportunistic pathogens normally are found in the lowered. Studies are underway to investigate the environment and are generally benign (Rosenberg et effect of changes in pH on corals and coral reefs. al. 2007). Opportunistic pathogens invade their hosts only when the host defense system is compromised. Coral bleaching and coral diseases (discussed Coral diseases caused by opportunistic pathogens are further below) can have devastating impacts on now widespread. corals. Coral diseases—such as black band disease, Q: What is Coral Bleaching? white band disease, and white plague—have resulted in mass mortalities of some coral
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