Mutualism Found in Coral Reefs

This topic submitted by Chelsea Miller ( mille271@muohio.edu) at 4:44 PM on 5/2/09.

Tara and Scott SCUBA along the Wall at Runway Ten, 15 m deep, San Salvador, Bahamas.

Tropical Field Courses -Western Program-Miami University


For my paper, I would like to begin by touching base on the origins of symbiotic relationships in regards to the beginnings of eukaryotic life and also include a brief synopsis of what exactly symbiosis and different mutualistic relationships consist of. Next, I found a few articles discussing how population dynamics change with regards to movement of the different species participating in these relationships so I wanted to explore these occurrences in greater depth. Of course, I plan on spending time discussing individual species that live in/on the reef that are involved in mutualism, including coral, specific fish species, and so on. In conclusion, I hope to engage my peers in a presentation that allows them to have a greater understanding of the vital roles that these species play through the interactions that occur between them.

I. Introduction to Coral Reefs/What is Symbiosis?
a. Ecology of Symbiosis
b. Evolutionary Relationships
i. Mitochondria & chloroplasts
II. Mutualist Population Dynamics
a. Effects of Immigration/Emigration
b. Habitat Limitations
III. Examples of Mutualism
a. Coral and algae
i. Coral bleaching
b. Cleaning of Coral Reef Fishes
c. Crabs and sponges/seaweed
d. Goby & Crab
e. MORE TO COME!
IV. Forms of Symbiosis
a. Mutualism
b. Commensalism
c. Parasitism
V. Conclusion


Works Cited:
¥ Swain, T; Wulff, J. ÒDiversity and specificity of Caribbean sponge-zoanthid symbioses: a foundation for understanding the adaptive significance of symbioses and generating hypotheses about higher-order systematics.Ó BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, v. 92 issue 4, 2007, p. 695-711.
¥ Thompson, A; Nisbet, R; Schmitt, R. ÒDynamics of mutualist populations that are demographically open.Ó JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, v. 75 issue 6, 2006, p. 1239-1251.
¥ Grutter, A.S.; Poulin R. ÒCleaning of Coral Reef Fishes by the wrasse labroids dimidiatus: influence of client body size and phylogeny.Ó Copeia, v. 98 issue 1, 1998, p.120-127.
¥ Knowlton, N.; Rohwer, F. ÒMultispecies microbial mutualism on coral reefs: the host as a habitat.Ó The American Naturalist v. 162 issue 4, 2003. p. 51-62
¥ MacGinitie, G.E. ÒThe natural history of callianassa californiensis dana.Ó American Midlant Naturalist v. 15 issue 2, 1934. p. 166-177
¥ ÒCoral and algal changes after the 1998 coral bleaching: interaction with reef management and herbivores on Kenyan reefs.Ó Coral Reefs v. 19 issue 2, 2001. p. 380-391
¥ Grutter, A.S. ÒRelationship between cleaning rates and ectoparasite loads in coral reef fishes.Ó Marine Ecology Progress Series. v. 118, 1995. p. 51-58


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