We will be making a coral reef food chain next week. You need to be prepared.
| Coral reef fish can be keystone species on coral reefs. For example the parrotfish Scarus rubroviolaceus also known as the Uhu on the top of this page feeds on algae by scraping it off of the dead rocks. This opens up space so a diverse array of larvae can settle out on the reef. In the process of feeding adults poop out 700 lbs. of sand a year. Think about that next time you are laying on Big Beach. While they eat algae, this prevents coral reefs from going down the "slippery slope to slime" where coral reefs often become overgrown by algae when there are no herbivores present or when the waters have too much nutrients, Eutrophication. Today we will examine some of the major reef fish of Hawaiʻi and their distribution throughout the world. Look at the fish poster on nearshore reef fish to get ideas of some of the types of fish. Look up 10 different fish and get common knowledge about them. Try to fill various Trophic levels. Check out fishbase for some of the fish you found on the poster. Here is the link to Scarus rubroviolacues. fishbase.org Examine the major marine invertebrates of Hawaiʻi. What are their ecosystem functions. Are they important to Hawaiʻi fisheries? I also want you to look up five common species of coral: Porites lobata, Porites compressa, Montipora capitata, Fungia scutaria, and a species of your personal preference. |