Environmental Science, 10th Edition (Cunningham)

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Overview: Great Barrier Reef, Australia, p. 108

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the longest and largest area of corral reef in the world. The barrier reef isn't a single linear wall of coral; rather it is a chain of smaller reefs and islands. If you zoom in on the place marker, you can see the texture of the reefs. If you zoom out from the view shown by our place marker, you'll see how many patches of reef make up this complex.

Australia has set aside about one-third of the reef complex as a marine protected area in which all extractive activities are banned. Overfishing and other destructive practices have been halted, but other problems still threaten the reef. Warm water has been causing bleaching (For reasons we don't fully understand, when they're stressed by warm water or other factors, the corals expel their algae symbionts. If the bleaching is too severe, the corals die.) In recent years, bleaching incidents have become increasingly widespread and severe. In 2002, between 65 and 90 percent of the corals within the 284,000 km² of the Great Barrier Reef showed signs of bleaching. Global warming can only make this situation worse. Another serious concern is that the increased CO2 concentrations are making ocean water more acidic, which interferes with the corals ability to create the calcium carbonate exoskeletons that create the reef. Some marine biologists warn that if current trends continue, all the coral could be dead within the next 50 years.

1			The structure of the Great Barrier Reef can be most accurately described as
			A)	a continuous linear feature composed of a single reef crest.
			B)	a discontinuous chain of islands separated by inlets.
			C)	a discontinuous chain of islands, shoals, and reef crests.
			D)	wide and flat, like a water lily floating on the water.
			E)	a human construction to protect the mainland.
2			What is the term for the relationship where one species benefits from the other without damaging or benefiting it?
			A)	Mutualism
			B)	Commensalism
			C)	Antagonism
			D)	Indifferentism
			E)	Individualism
3			What term do biologists use to describe the cooperative relationship between coral and algae?
			A)	Mutualism
			B)	Commensalism
			C)	Antagonism
			D)	Indifferentism
			E)	Individualism
4			The cooperative symbiotic relationship between algae and coral depends on clear, warm water that allows sunlight to reach the photosynthesizing algae. Zoom out until you can see Cairns, and then zoom in to the bay. What factors likely contribute to murky water in the bay in the vicinity of Cairns?
			A)	Forest and wetlands
			B)	Soil erosion from agriculture
			C)	Fertilizer and sewage runoff from developed areas
			D)	Runoff from both agriculture and urban land use
			E)	Land uses do not affect water clarity
5			Many of the world's coral reefs are affected by sediment runoff like this. If you lived in Cairns, what steps might you take to reduce sediment runoff that could threaten the coral reefs?
			A)	Maintain plant cover to reduce erosion
			B)	Practice low tillage farming to reduce soil erosion
			C)	Create barriers to slow runoff and trap sediment
			D)	All three options listed are steps that can reduce sediment runoff
			E)	There is no effective way to successfully reduce sediment runoff