Today involved discussion over two more articles as well as a group project over saving the last species of a type of coral. The first article talked about how parrotfish are affecting the abundance of coral due to predation. This was similar to the article yesterday over the butterflyfish. One thing the scientists used were grazing scars left on the coral by the parrotfish. The second article was over an invasion of lionfish in a part of the Caribbean and the struggle there is to control such a large population with no predators. There is thought to the use of groupers due to lionfish being found in grouper stomachs. After discussing these two issues, we began a project helping us better understand coral. We started out by finding more information on a coral polyp and how it reproduces. Then, we moved on to the plan we would have with the coral after it reproduces enough. Things we thought were essential include sunlight, clean water, and also zooxanthellae, which have a symbiotic relationship with the coral and help it remove waste and provide oxygen in return for protection. With our plans ready, each group pitched their ideas to the rest of the class. Listening to each, we noticed things we liked and also critiqued in things we thought could be ineffective. We now wait for tomorrow to see which group won. The discussions and information today very much relates to marine biology because we talked of the impact of certain fish on their environments as well as learning more about coral and the things it need to survive. I will take the concerns and continue to build on them to the end of the week.
