How are different reef organisms dependent on one another for survival? Teacher: Christina Bower Subject: Science Objective: Students will… Explain and give examples of how specific relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem affect the cycling of matter. . Activity at a Glance Students work in teams to conduct research about the roles that different species play in a coral reef ecosystem. Students create a coral reef mural as a class. Vocabulary algae – simple plants that live in water community – an assemblage of plants and animals living within a defined area consumers – animals that get their energy by feeding on plants or other animals decomposers – organisms that help to break down plant and animal matter into nutrients that producers need to grow ecosystem – the interacting system of living organisms and their environment interdependence – the concept that everything in nature is connected to each other and cannot survive without the help of other plants, animals, and abiotic factors such as sun, soil, air, and water nutrients – any substance that promotes growth in living organisms photosynthesis – the process of using energy from the sun to make starches and sugars from carbon dioxide and water phytoplankton – single-celled or multi-cellular plants producers – organisms that use energy from the sun to produce their own food Materials Ecosystems handout coral community drawing laptops tape stapler role of string or yarn scissors construction paper colored markers Teacher Background Information Coral reefs are complex communities of plants and animals. The colonies of corals that grow next to and on top of each other form the basis for this fascinating community, providing food, shelter, and diverse living spaces for many kinds of plants and animals. One way to understand the complex relationships among the plants and animals is to examine the roles that different species play in the coral reef community. Corals are unique in that they play a dual role as producers and carnivores. The producers in the coral community also include the microscopic phytoplankton and the larger algae that use the energy from sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugar in the process of photosynthesis. The producers are the basis of the food chain, providing food for the herbivores, such as the turtles and colorful parrotfish that live on the reef. Carnivores, such as moray eels, monk seals, and sharks prey on the herbivores, which helps to keep their populations in balance. Darting among the corals are many beautifully colored fish that have adapted to feed on both plants and animals. These omnivores include the moorish idol, reef triggerfish, and the rac- coon butterfly fish. Finally, the coral community would not be complete without the creatures that make up nature’s clean-up crew. These decomposers include the crabs and lobsters that scavenge for food, feeding on decaying plants and animals. Have students read the ecosystems handout and answer the comprehension questions. Once students have completed their reading task. Provide each student with the coral reef ecosystem diagram and discuss it as a class. Ask: what 2 main ecosystems are illustrated. Ask students to describe what they know about a coral reef ecosystem. Review what they know about the role of different members of the coral reef community (producers, consumers and decomposers) Ask: how might the organisms in this picture be interconnected? Explain to students that we are going to learn about the reef ecosystem and how many of its organisms are connected. Tell students that they will all research 2 organisms from the picture. They will need to find out what their organism eats, where it leaves, and whether it is a consumer, producer, or decomposer. Once they have found their research they are to draw a picture of each organism they researched (these will be used to create a coral reef food chain on the classroom bulletin board). Provide each student with 1 organism from the chart below to research. Species Plankton Mussels Rock lobster Clownfish Sea anemone algae octopus Benthic worm goby Hermit crab Sea star Jellyfish Potato bass Cleaner wrasse Reef shark Turtle Barracuda Surgeon fish Cleaner shrimp Parrot fish Corals What does it eat? Where does it live? Producer, consumer, or decomposer? Zooxanthellae Eel Sea cucumber Once students have completed research have them write their information on a small cue card. Have students add the picture of their organisms to the bulletin board. Review: All plants and animals need organic compounds and water in order to survive. Plants are able to produce their own organic compounds and they are called prodcers. Animals feed off plants and other animals, and they are called consumers. The animals that eat plants are called primary consumers, and the ones that eat other animals, may be called secondary or tertiary consumers. The organisms that break down the dead material are called decomposers. An animal may eat more than one food item and this than creates a food web within an ecosystem. A food web is a network of feeding relationships. Each link in the food web is important in keeping the ecosystem in balance. Wrap up: Students will than discuss the connections between their organisms as a class. Tell students that while we are having a discussion they should pay close attention to which organism eats what as we will add these connections to our bulletin board. Which organisms were connected? Which ones were not? Which organisms are needed for a reef community to survive? Complete the food web on the bulletin board. Ask: what do you all notice about the food web? Ecosystems An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and smaller organisms that live, feed, reproduce and interact in the same area or environment. Some ecosystems are very large. For example, many bird species nest in one place and feed in a completely different area. On the other hand, some ecosystems may be physically small, such as you would find in a meadow at the edge of a forest, or in a coral reef in the ocean. Water ecosystems exist all over the world. We can classify them by their similar characteristics including specific types of organisms, location, and climate. These distinct groupings are called biomes. Water ecosystems fall into two kinds of major aquatic biomes – freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater and marine biomes cover nearly 75 percent of the Earth’s surface. Freshwater is defined as having a low salt concentration – usually less than 1 percent. Plants and animals in freshwater regions are adapted to the low salt content and would not be able to survive in the ocean. These regions include ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. Within ecosystems, organisms are broken down into three main roles: producer, consumer, and decomposer. Each of these roles is extremely important in the ecosystems of marine biomes, as each contributes to the condition and health of the water system. Producers are organisms that can make all of their own food in an ecosystem. In marine biomes producers are most often plants, because they are the main source of energy. These plants use photosynthesis to make their own food. Examples of producers in a marine biome include zooxanthallae, kelp, seaweed and sea grass. Make their own food? Photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is a complex reaction. In a lot of ways, it's similar to the way your body breaks down food into fuel that it can store. Essentially, using energy from the sun, a plant can transform carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. In other words, while we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, plants inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Without the sun to feed plants (and the plants to release oxygen), we might not have breathable air. Without plants to feed us and the animals most people use for food, we'd also have nothing to eat. Now where were we… Now that we know what producers are let’s look at who’s eating who/what. Consumers of an ecosystem cannot make their own food. They depend on producers for their food and energy. Consumers cannot make their own food and therefore eat other animals and plants. The consumers of a marine biome include krill, mollusks, fish and zooplankton. Decomposers are an essential component of any ecosystem. Their main role is to recycle nutrients in dead organisms and their wastes. Most decomposers are bacteria and fungi. Without the decomposers, there could be no life since plants would run out of nutrients. Comprehension Questions Answer the questions below in your theme notebooks. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What is an ecosystem? What are the 2 different types of water ecosystems? What is a producer? Provide one example. What is a consumer? Provide one example. What is a decomposer? Provide one example. Describe photosynthesis in your own words.