A particularly controversial debate revolves around the classification of Coral in terms of its feeding relationships. Coral is not specifically named a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore because it is known to consume a myriad of things, hence the lack of classification. According to SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, corals most commonly consume zooplankton, small fish, organic matter, and zooxanthellae. They eat by extending their tentacles, secreting mucus, or using filaments within the stomach cavity. Zooplankton is a term used to describe the smaller and often microscopic animals floating in the seawater, they can be crustaceans, jelly-like, worm-like, shelled, or squids. Specific organisms that qualify as zooplankton include pteropods, chaetognaths, ctenophores, mysids, and copepods (“Taxa List”).

Despite the fact that corals are not specifically classified pertaining to their feeding relationships, they are classified as first-level consumers, meaning that they are not primary producers (they are not photosynthetic) and can be consumed by other organisms. Coral polyps are essential to the structure of coral because they allow the coral to grow and feed. Coral polyps are minute organisms that hold the responsibility of building the coral reefs. They do this by secreting layers of calcium carbonate, which accumulates and causes the coral reefs to grow. Coral polyps are also essential to the life of coral reefs because they form a mutual symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, which are single-celled dinoflagellates known for their various symbiotic relationships. The coral polyps provide shelter for the zooxanthellae while the zooxanthellae use energy from light to undergo photosynthesis and create food for the corals. The zooxanthellae benefit from their symbiotic relationship with the coral polyps by ingesting the waste material of the coral polyps (“How Reefs are Made”).

In addition to considering the symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and zooxanthellae, it is also important to consider the energy flow from zooxanthellae to coral. According to the Marine Education Society of Australasia, zooxanthellae provide up to 90% of

energy in corals while 9.9% is reserved for breathing and 0.09% is reserved for growth (“Zooxanthellae”). Coral are prey to a myriad of organisms including crown-of-thorns starfish, worms, and snails.

Metabolic processes that take place within corals can be divided into two categories: inorganic carbon metabolism and organic carbon metabolism. The category that pertains closely to energy flow within coral is organic carbon metabolism, which includes photosynthesis and respiration. As mentioned earlier, the zooxanthellae undergoes photosynthesis, which results in the production of sugars, lipids, and oxygen. The coral polyps use these products for cellular respiration (“Zooxanthellae”).

Access to sunlight is an essential abiotic component in coral reefs due to the fact that zooxanthellae use sunlight to undergo photosynthesis. As mentioned earlier, the zooxanthellae maintain a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the coral polyps, which are responsible for the growth of the coral reef. Insufficient sources of sunlight can be detrimental to life within the coral reef because sunlight is converted into energy by the primary producers. Sunlight is also essential to the respiration process within corals due to the fact that photosynthesis allows zooxanthellae to produce products essential for respiration within the coral polyps (Anthony and Hoegh‐Guldberg 2003).

Works Cited

Anthony, K. R. N., and O. Hoegh‐Guldberg. “Variation in Coral Photosynthesis, Respiration and Growth Characteristics in Contrasting Light Microhabitats: An Analogue to Plants in Forest Gaps and Understoreys?” Functional Ecology. Blackwell Science Ltd, 23 Apr. 2003. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.

Entertainment, SeaWorld Parks &. “Diet & Eating Habits.” Animals: Explore. Discover. Connect. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.

“How Reefs Are Made.” Coral Reef Alliance. Coral Reef Alliance, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.

“Taxa List.” Scripps Oceanography. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.

“Zooxanthellae.” A to Z of Oz Marine Life. Marine Education Society of Australasia, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2017.