BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF CORAL REEFS

This course explores the distribution of coral reefs, reef types, formation, and erosion. It examines the anatomy and morphology of scleractinian corals, calcification, nutrition, and reproduction. This course offers a study of the ecology of coral communities including: reef community structure, zonation and dynamics; productivity and nutrient cycling; functional diversity and redundancy in coral reefs; sponge-algae-coral interactions; key trophic interactions; reef resilience and phase shifts; major taxonomic groups of reef-associated organisms and their ecological function. Finally, it discusses the value and uses of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems, threats to Caribbean coral reefs, and current trends in coral reef research.