supernareg
New member
this was for biology class... we had to pick a coevolution and symbiosis to talk about... so i did what i know best lol.
DONT STEAL MY ESSAY BISHES!!!!!
Coevolution of Dinoflagellates and Coral Reefs
One may ponder on what makes a coral reef so beautiful, how it flourishes, provides for a diversity of life, and how it grows into such amazing structures. This is possible because of the endosymbiotic relationship between a phototrophic dinoflagellate known as zooxanthellae and the actual coral itself (LaJeunesse, 2005). When two different organisms adapt to coexist benefiting from each otherââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s aid, they become more successful than if existing alone. This is called coevolution (Campbell and Reece, 2005).
There are many types of zooxanthellae dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium, which is considered to be monophyletic (Pochon et al., 2004). These zooxanthellae, along with corals, have adapted to make the most of their symbiosis with each other. Zooxanthellae of coral reefs have adapted to become brown colored, because brown is the best for absorbing blue light, as it is blue light that extends utmost down into the watery depth (Delbeek, 1987). Corals alternatively have very well adapted to make the most of zooxanthellae by living in an environment that is nutrient poor, light rich, and shallow (LaJeunesse, 2005). The coral shape has also adapted to absorb as much light as possible; for example some corals are thin and have a wide surface area. Most corals grow in the photic zone, the zone which there is enough light for photosynthesis.
The coral reefââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s main diet consists of zooplankton captured by polyps but more importantly the products of zooxanthellae. In return for the act of kindness, the coral provides the zooxanthellae with its main dish and also a place to survive and bloom (Castro and Huber, 1997). Zooxanthellae use photosynthesis along with nitrogen and phosphate produced by the coral (as result of eating zooplankton) to make carbohydrates and oxygen, of which the coralââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s digestive enzymes allow the photosynthetic product to pass through to the coral. Some scientists also believe that photosynthesis also provides faster calcium carbonate production for the skeleton of the coral (Delbeek, 1987).
The reef is home to many diverse species. Many fish, arthropods such as copepods, crabs, shrimps, and other prey live amongst the reef. This has led to the coexistence of different species of fish without competition, as there is an abundance of different food and homes available. Some fish eat polyps while others eat copepods. This, among with a different marine environment, led to the biodiversification of corals, furthermore enhancing the speciation of animals (Pochon et al., 2004).
Without zooxanthellae, the coralââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s fitness decreases significantly. If a coral is stressed, it will expel its zooxanthellae and gather more at a later time. Some factors of stress are temperature, salinity, pollution, light, and sediments (Castro and Huber, 1997). The coral will in turn change into a white color, and sometimes wonââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t be able to recover the algae. This is called coral bleaching, and with global warming, it has become a problem destroying the habitats of many marine life forms (Huppert and Stone, 1998).
A healthy reef will present endless amounts of food, housing, and protection for its inhabitants. Moreover, this abundance in turn supply for the biodiversity we see today. Coevolution between two symbiotic organisms contributes to one of the most beautiful structures in the world. With species escaping predation, surviving without competing, time gives birth to a very fulfilled ecosystem that thrives in the right conditions.
Literature Cited
Amit Huppert, Lewi Stone, 1998. Chaos in the Pacificââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s Coral Reef Bleaching Cycle. The American Naturalist Vol. 152 No. 3: 447-459.
J. Charles Delbeek M.Sc, 1987. The Role of Symbiotic Algae in Marine Invertebrates. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 11: 14-21.
Neil A. Campbell, Jane B. Reece, 2005. Biology, Seventh Edition Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco.
Peter Castro PhD, Michael E. Huber PhD, 1997. Marine Biology, Second Edition McGraw-Hill, USA.
Todd C. LaJeunesse, 2005. ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œSpeciesââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ Radiations of Symbiotic Dinoflagellates in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Since the Miocene-Pliocene Transition. Molecular Biology and Evolution Vol. 22 No. 3: 570-581.
X. Pochon, T. C. LaJeunesse, J. Pawlowski, 2004. Biogeographic Partitioning and Host Specialization Among Foraminiferan Dinoflagellate Symbionts (Symbiodinium; Dinophyta). Marine Biology 146: 17-27.
DONT STEAL MY ESSAY BISHES!!!!!
DONT STEAL MY ESSAY BISHES!!!!!
Coevolution of Dinoflagellates and Coral Reefs
One may ponder on what makes a coral reef so beautiful, how it flourishes, provides for a diversity of life, and how it grows into such amazing structures. This is possible because of the endosymbiotic relationship between a phototrophic dinoflagellate known as zooxanthellae and the actual coral itself (LaJeunesse, 2005). When two different organisms adapt to coexist benefiting from each otherââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s aid, they become more successful than if existing alone. This is called coevolution (Campbell and Reece, 2005).
There are many types of zooxanthellae dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium, which is considered to be monophyletic (Pochon et al., 2004). These zooxanthellae, along with corals, have adapted to make the most of their symbiosis with each other. Zooxanthellae of coral reefs have adapted to become brown colored, because brown is the best for absorbing blue light, as it is blue light that extends utmost down into the watery depth (Delbeek, 1987). Corals alternatively have very well adapted to make the most of zooxanthellae by living in an environment that is nutrient poor, light rich, and shallow (LaJeunesse, 2005). The coral shape has also adapted to absorb as much light as possible; for example some corals are thin and have a wide surface area. Most corals grow in the photic zone, the zone which there is enough light for photosynthesis.
The coral reefââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s main diet consists of zooplankton captured by polyps but more importantly the products of zooxanthellae. In return for the act of kindness, the coral provides the zooxanthellae with its main dish and also a place to survive and bloom (Castro and Huber, 1997). Zooxanthellae use photosynthesis along with nitrogen and phosphate produced by the coral (as result of eating zooplankton) to make carbohydrates and oxygen, of which the coralââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s digestive enzymes allow the photosynthetic product to pass through to the coral. Some scientists also believe that photosynthesis also provides faster calcium carbonate production for the skeleton of the coral (Delbeek, 1987).
The reef is home to many diverse species. Many fish, arthropods such as copepods, crabs, shrimps, and other prey live amongst the reef. This has led to the coexistence of different species of fish without competition, as there is an abundance of different food and homes available. Some fish eat polyps while others eat copepods. This, among with a different marine environment, led to the biodiversification of corals, furthermore enhancing the speciation of animals (Pochon et al., 2004).
Without zooxanthellae, the coralââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s fitness decreases significantly. If a coral is stressed, it will expel its zooxanthellae and gather more at a later time. Some factors of stress are temperature, salinity, pollution, light, and sediments (Castro and Huber, 1997). The coral will in turn change into a white color, and sometimes wonââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t be able to recover the algae. This is called coral bleaching, and with global warming, it has become a problem destroying the habitats of many marine life forms (Huppert and Stone, 1998).
A healthy reef will present endless amounts of food, housing, and protection for its inhabitants. Moreover, this abundance in turn supply for the biodiversity we see today. Coevolution between two symbiotic organisms contributes to one of the most beautiful structures in the world. With species escaping predation, surviving without competing, time gives birth to a very fulfilled ecosystem that thrives in the right conditions.
Literature Cited
Amit Huppert, Lewi Stone, 1998. Chaos in the Pacificââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s Coral Reef Bleaching Cycle. The American Naturalist Vol. 152 No. 3: 447-459.
J. Charles Delbeek M.Sc, 1987. The Role of Symbiotic Algae in Marine Invertebrates. Freshwater and Marine Aquarium 11: 14-21.
Neil A. Campbell, Jane B. Reece, 2005. Biology, Seventh Edition Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco.
Peter Castro PhD, Michael E. Huber PhD, 1997. Marine Biology, Second Edition McGraw-Hill, USA.
Todd C. LaJeunesse, 2005. ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œSpeciesââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ Radiations of Symbiotic Dinoflagellates in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Since the Miocene-Pliocene Transition. Molecular Biology and Evolution Vol. 22 No. 3: 570-581.
X. Pochon, T. C. LaJeunesse, J. Pawlowski, 2004. Biogeographic Partitioning and Host Specialization Among Foraminiferan Dinoflagellate Symbionts (Symbiodinium; Dinophyta). Marine Biology 146: 17-27.
DONT STEAL MY ESSAY BISHES!!!!!
