1. Coral Reef Bleaching Experiment
Leonard LC
Yao
Marcel

2. IMPORTANCE OF CORAL REEF
MAJOR SOURCE OF TOURISM IN AUSTRALIA, FLORIDA, AND IN THE CARIBBEAN
GOOD FOR FISHING
BUILDING RESOURCES
COASTAL PROTECTION
DISCOVERY OF NEW DRUGS

3. Background on Coral Bleaching
OCCURS WHEN CORAL LOSES ALL OF ITS ZOOXANTHELLAE; CORAL LOOKS PLAIN
CAUSES THE CORAL TO DIE BECAUSE OF LOSS OF NUTRIENT SOURCE/ ZOOXANTHELLAE= RESTRICT FLOW OF LIFE SUPPORTING NUTRIENTS THROUGH WATER COLUMN (EX: NITROGEN AND OTHER IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS

4. CAUSES OF BLEACHING TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
PROLONGED DARKNESS
PATHOGENIC MICRO-ORGANISMS
HEAVY METALS (I.E COPPER AND CADMIUM)
HIGH IRRADIANCE

5. Experiment Proposal
WE ARE THINKING OF STUDYING THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON CORAL TO SEE IF THAT PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN BLEACHING OF CORAL. EACH EXPERIMENT WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE IN THE TANK.
QUESTION: DOES PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO TEMPERATURE AFFECT BLEACHING OF CORAL?

6. HYPOTHESIS
THE TEMPERATURE WILL CAUSE THE CORAL TO START BLEACHING AT A SLOW RATE AND LOSE ZOOXANTHELLAE
OR THE GRADUAL INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE WILL NOT CAUSE ANY SORT BLEACHING IN THE CORAL

7. EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL
EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL VARIABLES WILL BE IN AN AQUARIUM THAT HAS STANDARD SALINITY AND LIGHT
EACH WEEK THE ZOOXANTHELLAE DENSITY WILL BE MEASURED
ALSO CHLOROPHYLL AND PROTEIN CONCENTRATION WILL BE MEASURED

8. THE END