Unit 5: CORAL REPRODUCTION. Coral Reef. Ecology Curriculum

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1 Unit 5: CORAL REPRODUCTION Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum

2 This unit is part of the Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum that was developed by the Education Department of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. It has been designed for secondary school students, but can be adapted for other uses. The entire curriculum can be found online at lof.org/coralreefcurriculum. Executive Director: CAPT Philip G. Renaud Author and Design/Layout: Amy Heemsoth, Director of Education Editorial assistance provided by: Andrew Bruckner, Ken Marks, Melinda Campbell, Alexandra Dempsey, and Liz Rauer Illustrations by: Amy Heemsoth Cover Photo: Andrew Bruckner 2014 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, photos are property of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation and authors disclaim any liability for injury or damage relatedto the use of this curriculum.these materials may be reproduced for education purposes. When using any of the materials from this curriculum, please include the following attribution: Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) was incorporated in California as a 501(c)(3), public benefit, Private Operating Foundation in September The Living Oceans Foundation is dedicated to providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health through research, outreach, and education. The educational goals of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation and development of the Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum are generously supported by Prince Khaled bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia. For more information, visit lof.org. Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/livingoceansfoundation Google+: +LivingoceansfoundationOrg Pinterest: pinterest.com/livingoceansfdn Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 130 Severn Avenue, Suite 100 Annapolis, MD, 21403, USA (443) education@lof.org SCIENCE WITHOUT BORDERS

3 CORAL REPRODUCTION This unit explains different strategies that corals use to reproduce. KEYWORDS Anthropogenic Asexual Reproduction Asynchronous Spawners (plural) Bailout Broadcast Spawners (plural) Brooder Budding Buoyant Embryo Extra-tentacular Budding Fertilization Fission Fragmentation Gamete Gastrovascular Cavity Hermaphrodite Intra-tentacular Budding Invertebrate Mass Spawners (plural) Oral Disk Planula Polyp Reproduction Safety in Numbers Sessile Sexual Reproduction Synchronous Spawners (plural) Tentacles STANDARDS CCSS: RST , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; RST , 2, 3, 4, 6, 10; SL , 6; SL , 6 NGSS: HS-LS2-8 OLP: 5.C.44, 5.C.47, 5.C.48, 5.C.50, 5.C.53, 5.C.54, 5.C.55, 5.C.56 MULTIMEDIA RESOURCE Birds and the Bees YouTube video ( LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define reproduction. Define and differentiate between the two types of coral reproduction. Recognize that the majority of corals are hermaphroditic broadcast spawners. List and define the two types of sexual reproduction in corals. Compare the different advantages and disadvantages of being a brooder or a spawner. Explain the meaning of safety in numbers and how this applies to coral reproduction. Differentiate between synchronous and asynchronous spawners. List 5 environmental cues that could affect spawning. Recognize that successful coral reproduction will likely be affected by anthropogenic effects. Differentiate between the different types of asexual reproduction (fragmentation, fission, bailout, and budding). Differentiate between intra-tentacular and extra-tentacular budding. UNIT PROCEDURE 1. Show Birds and the Bees YouTube video. a. Complete Watch It! Birds and the Bees student worksheet. 2. Teach Background Information section A) Sexual Reproduction. a. Complete Lesson 1: Safety in Numbers student worksheet. 3. Teach Background Information section B) Asexual Reproduction. a. Complete Lesson 2: Comic Clones student worksheet. 4. Teach students how to read and critique blogs. a. Complete Read It! Rolling Stones student worksheet. 5. Evaluate students using Unit 5: Coral Reproduction Quiz (found online at NOTE: User must be logged in Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 1

4 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction BACKGROUND INFORMATION Reproduction is the process of creating offspring. Organisms must reproduce in order for their species to survive. How do corals reproduce? Remember that corals are sessile so they have to be creative when it comes to reproduction. In this unit, we will learn about different strategies that coral use to reproduce. Corals reproduce by one of two methods: 1. Sexual reproduction 2. Asexual reproduction A) SEXUAL REPRODUCTION Let s begin with sexual reproduction, the production of a new organism from two others of the opposite sex. This requires the production of sperm and eggs, which are often referred to as gametes. Gametes are mature sexual reproductive cells. The majority of coral species are hermaphroditic, meaning that they produce both sperm and eggs. The rest consist of separate sexes (male or female) meaning that they produce either eggs or sperm. When a sperm and egg combine to form a new organism it is called fertilization. The majority of corals are considered hermaphroditic broadcast spawners, a type of external fertilization. Broadcast spawners, sometimes referred to as mass spawners or synchronous spawners, release both sperm and eggs into the water at the same time (figure 5-1). Some corals release buoyant egg and sperm bundles. These do not self fertilize, but instead, they float to the water s surface where they break apart, releasing gametes, which then combine with those from other corals, completing the process of fertilization. Other corals fertilize the eggs internally in the gastrovascular cavity (see Unit 3: Coral Anatomy), and allow them to grow into planulae (see Unit 3: Coral Anatomy). These corals are called brooders. Both of these are different reproductive strategies that have various outcomes. Can you think of the benefits and disadvantages of each of these strategies? 2014 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation FIGURE 5-1. Mass spawning event where the round objects are eggs and the white clouds are sperm Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

5 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction Benefit to Spawners More sperm and eggs released; safety in numbers Carried in currents over greater distances; greater genetic diversity Requires less energy Disadvantage to Spawners Longer distance = less chance of survival Have to get the synchronization correct for gametes to be able to reproduce Benefit to Brooders Fewer but better developed planulae Can settle immediately; less chance of getting eaten Can release planulae at any time because it is already in its planktonic stage Disadvantage to Brooders Less genetic diversity Requires more energy Some corals can actually use a combination of brooding and spawning in order to benefit from each reproductive strategy and ensure the survival of their species. A mass spawning occurs when many different coral species synchronize the release of their eggs and sperm. Mass spawnings have been observed on coral reefs throughout the world. Usually the event occurs once a year; however, two spawnings have been documented. Additionally, in some areas, minor spawning events occur throughout the year. Generally, spawning events take place after a full moon during certain times of the year, dependent on location. Here are a few examples: Great Barrier Reef, Australia; occurs in October or November and sometimes December, 4-5 days after the full moon (GBRMPA 2011) Western Australia; occurs in March or April, 4-14 days after the full moon (Babcock et al. 1994) Florida Keys; occurs in August or September, 3-5 days after the full moon (Szmant 1986) Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico; occurs in August, 7-10 days after the full moon (National Ocean Service 2014) Other non-coral invertebrates have been observed releasing their gametes during the mass spawning as well, including sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sponges, marine worms, and molluscs. Again, this reproductive behavior is beneficial by allowing a large amount of gametes to be present; therefore, the likelihood of an individual being eaten is decreased. This is sometimes referred to as safety in numbers. Even though there is a feeding frenzy by fish and invertebrates (figure 5-2), there are many gametes present and many will survive. FIGURE 5-2. Brittle star feeding on coral s gametes 2014 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 3

6 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction In areas like the Great Barrier Reef, the spawn is so large that a pink slick of unfertilized eggs and embryos (fertilized eggs) can be seen on the surface of the ocean (see unit cover). Some corals are asynchronous spawners meaning that they can spawn during the mass spawn, but they are more likely to spawn before or after it. Different species spawn at different times. There are certain environmental cues that tell corals when to spawn. It is unclear exactly which cues affect spawning events, though it is believed that corals respond to multiple environmental cues. What environmental cues do you think could affect spawning? Here are some potential environmental cues: Sea temperature Salinity Storms and weather conditions Currents Latitudinal variation Day length Tidal cycle Lunar cycle Chemical signaling Wind patterns Anthropogenic effects As corals become more threatened by anthropogenic, or human produced effects, it is likely that successful coral reproduction will also be at risk (see Unit 19:Threats). B) ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION The second way that corals can reproduce is via asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction is a means of reproduction where a new organism arises from a single organism. This new organism will only have the genes of the parent organism and it is an identical clone of the parent. Corals use several different methods of asexual reproduction. 1. Fragmentation: when a piece of coral intentionally or unintentionally (storms, human disturbance, etc.) is broken off from the parent coral. It can grow, developing into a mature coral and starting new colonies. This method is often used by people to restore coral reefs (figure 5-3). A fragment can be broken off, grown until they are healthy and mature enough, and then transplanted on to a coral reef. CREDIT: ANDREW BRUCKNER FIGURE 5-3. A coral nursery in Vava u, Tonga Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

7 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction 2. Budding (figure 5-4): This category of asexual reproduction is found in all colonial corals. Budding occurs when a portion of the parent polyp pinches off to form a new individual. There are two ways in which this occurs: Intra-tentacular: Buds form from the parent polyp s oral disks, producing same-sized polyps within the ring of tentacles (figure 5-5a). Extra-tentacular: Buds forms outside the parent polyp s ring of tentacles, producing a smaller polyp (figure 5-5b). FIGURE 5-4. Coral budding 2014 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation a) b) FIGURE 5-5. a) Intra-tentacular budding; b) Extra-tentacular budding CREDIT: KEN MARKS CREDIT: KEN MARKS 2014 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 5

8 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction 3. Fission: During early developmental stages, some coral colonies have the ability to split into two or more colonies. This sometimes occurs with corals from the Family Fungiidae, the mushroom corals (figure 5-6). They are solitary corals that can decalcify, or break up, their skeletons, creating two pieces and then growing their other half back. Other similar types of reproduction occur in Fungiids. They can decalcify part of the skeleton forming acanthocauli (juvenile polyps formed asexually). These polyps grow on top of their dead parents and eventually break off into individual polyps Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation FIGURE 5-6. Mushroom coral undergoing fission 4. Bailout (figure 5-7): When a single polyp abandons its colony and settles on the substrate to create a new colony. Sometimes this is due to a stressful event such as coral bleaching (Sammarco 1982) Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation FIGURE 5-7. Bailout of a staghorn coral polyp Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

9 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction Attributions Figure 5-2. By Haplochromis [Public domain], 16 February 2007 via Wikimedia Commons. wikimedia.org/wiki/file%3astony_coral_spawning.jpg. Figure 5-7. For use of staghorn coral vector. By Tracey Saxby, Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary/). Citations Babcock, R. C., Wills, B. L., & Simpson, C. J. (1994). Mass spawning of corals on a high latitude coral reef. Coral Reefs 13: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). (2011). Coral Reproduction. Retrieved May 16, 2014 from National Ocean Service. (10 February, 2014). Coral Spawning. Retrieved May 16, 2014 from flowergarden.noaa.gov/education/coralspawning.html. Sammarco, P. W. (1982). Polyp bail-out: An escape response to environmental stress and the new means of reproduction in corals. Marine Ecology Progress Series 10: Szmant, A. M. (1986). Reproductive ecology of Caribbean reef corals. Coral Reefs 5: Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 7

10 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Student Worksheet Name: Date: Watch it! birds and the bees INSTRUCTIONS: Watch Birds and the Bees YouTube video ( and answer the following questions. 1. What percentage of the ocean floor is covered by coral reefs? 2. Why are coral reefs important? 3. What are the two types of coral reproduction? Define each type. a. b. 4. What is a mass spawning? 5. What is a gamete? 6. What type of reproduction is a mass spawning? 7. Who else benefits during a mass spawn? 8. What is a planula? 9. What is brooding? What type of reproduction is brooding? 2015 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

11 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Student Worksheet Watch it! birds and the bees 11. What is one benefit that brooders have over mass spawners? Explain. 12. What is budding? 13. What type of reproduction is budding? 14. What is fragmentation? 15. What type of reproduction is fragmentation? 16. Why do corals need to reproduce? Explain Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 9

12 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Answer Key Watch it! birds and the bees INSTRUCTIONS: Watch Birds and the Bees YouTube video ( and answer the following questions. 1. What percentage of the ocean floor is covered by coral reefs? About 1% 2. Why are coral reefs important? Coral reefs are important because they provide nutrition and shelter for many other organisms. 3. What are the two types of coral reproduction? Define each type. a. Sexual reproduction - requiring both males and females b. Asexual reproduction - corals reproducing by themselves 4. What is a mass spawning? Mass spawning occurs when corals of the same species release their sperm and eggs into the water at the same time. 5. What is a gamete? Reproductive cells - egg and sperm 6. What type of reproduction is a mass spawning? Sexual reproduction 7. Who else benefits during a mass spawn? Other animals such as fish and invertebrates feed on the gametes, benefiting from a mass spawning event. 8. What is a planula? A planula is a coral larva that forms after fertilization takes place. 9. What is brooding? Brooding takes place when male corals release sperm into the water, which is then taken up by female corals. The egg is fertilized inside of the coral polyp Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

13 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Answer Key Watch it! birds and the bees 10. What type of reproduction is brooding? Sexual reproduction 11. What is one benefit that brooders have over mass spawners? Explain. Brooders are less likely to be eaten because they have less distance to travel before they find a place to settle. 12. What is budding? Budding takes place when a mature coral polyp reaches a certain size and begins to divide into two completely separate coral polyps. 13. What type of reproduction is budding? Asexual reproduction 14. What is fragmentation? Fragmentation occurs when corals are broken. Sometimes the broken piece can reattach to a surface and grow into a new coral colony. 15. What type of reproduction is fragmentation? Asexual reproduction 16. Why do corals need to reproduce? Explain. Corals reproduce in order to ensure that they will survive from one generation to the next Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 11

14 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Safety in Numbers Lesson 1 teacher s Notes Author Melinda Campbell, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation LEARNING OBJECTIVEs Explain the meaning of safety in numbers. Define mass spawning. Demonstrate safety in numbers. Describe how safety in numbers applies to coral reproduction. KEYWORDS Broadcast Spawners Embryo Gamete Mass Spawners Safety in Numbers Sexual Reproduction MATERIALS Large open area (like a playing field) 2 ropes (or other means to mark boundaries) Watch It! Birds and the Bees student worksheet Lesson 1: Safety in Numbers student worksheet EXTENSION Discuss why safety in numbers applies to all organisms, regardless of age, and not just coral gametes. STANDARDS CCSS: RST , 4, 5, 9; RST ; SL , 6; SL , 6 NGSS: HS-LS2-8 OLP: 5.C.44, 5.C.53, 5.C.54, 5.C.55, 5.C.56 PROCEDURE 1. You will need to secure access to a large area where the students can play a form of the game Tag. 2. Watch Birds and the Bees YouTube video ( youtube.com/watch) and answer questions on Watch It! Birds and the Bees student worksheet. 3. Teach Background Information section A) Sexual Reproduction. 4. Hand out Lesson 1: Safety in Numbers student worksheet. 5. Have students answer questions 1 and 2 at the top of the student worksheet. Discuss the answers with the class. 6. Go over the rules of the game on the student worksheet. 7. Assign who will be playing each role for each round of Tag. You can increase or decrease the number of rounds, depending on how many students are in your class and/ or how much time you have for the activity. You may also need to adjust the number of gametes in the later rounds to accommodate all of your students. 8. Moderate the activity to ensure that students are following the rules of their role properly. Write down how many gametes reach adulthood for each round. If you have a student who is unable to run, s/he could perform this task. 9. After the last round, discuss the results and how changing the predator-to-prey ratio influenced how many gametes successfully reached adulthood. 10. Have the students fill in Data Table 1 and answer the remaining questions on the student worksheet Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

15 Name: Date: Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Student Worksheet Lesson 1 Safety in Numbers INSTRUCTIONS: Mass spawning takes advantage of the concept, safety in numbers. Answer the following questions regarding these concepts. 1. Define mass spawning. 2. What does the phrase, safety in numbers, mean to you? You will demonstrate the concept of safety in numbers by playing a version of the game Tag. There are two types of players: gametes and predators. Gamete: Your goal is to be released from your parent on the bottom of the water column (original end of the field), get up to the surface (opposite end of the field) to become an embryo, then get back to the bottom (original end of the field) to settle and grow into an adult coral. Predator: You are it! Your goal is to eat ( tag ) as many gametes as you can. RULES: 1. Predators start at the surface; gametes start at the bottom. Look at Data Table 1 to see how many of each should be in each round. 2. When gametes are released (i.e., teacher says, Go! ), they will race to the surface, while trying to avoid predators. 3. The surface is a safe zone. Predators cannot enter this area. Gametes may stay for a maximum of fifteen seconds before they head back to the bottom; once gametes leave the surface, they may not go back. 4. All gametes who make it all the way to the surface and back to the bottom are counted and recorded at the end of the round. (Congratulations! You get to grow into an adult coral!) 5. Gametes that are eaten by a predator at any time, will not become an adult and should join the teacher on the sidelines. 6. Everyone must stay in bounds, at all times, or you will dry out. If this happens, join your teacher on the sidelines. DATA TABLE 1: Round A. Number of Predators B. Number of Gametes (at start) C. Number of Gametes who reached adulthood D. Gamete Success Rate (B-C) / B x Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 13

16 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Safety in Numbers Student Worksheet INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the questions below. 1. How do corals and other organisms benefit from Safety in Numbers? 2. How did this version of Tag illustrate Safety in Numbers? 3. Can lone gametes be successful? Give an example from today s Tag activity in your explanation. 4. Which role did you play today? Now that you have played this game, how would you change your strategy (or how did you change your strategy, if you played more than one round)? 5. How would you change this game to make it better illustrate the concept of Safety in Numbers? 6. List the best set of three traits you think would be necessary to survive in the wild. Explain why you chose this set of traits Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

17 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Answer Key Lesson 1 Safety in Numbers INSTRUCTIONS: Mass spawning takes advantage of the concept, safety in numbers. Answer the following questions regarding these concepts. 1. Define mass spawning. A type of sexual reproduction when organisms, such as corals, release their gametes into the water at the same time. 2. What does the phrase, safety in numbers, mean to you? Individual organisms have less of a chance of being preyed on when there is a greater number of organisms present. You will demonstrate the concept of safety in numbers by playing a version of the game Tag. There are two types of players: gametes and predators. Gamete: Your goal is to be released from your parent on the bottom of the water column (original end of the field), get up to the surface (opposite end of the field) to become an embryo, then get back to the bottom (original end of the field) to settle and grow into an adult coral. Predator: You are it! Your goal is to eat ( tag ) as many gametes as you can. Rules: 1. Predators start at the surface; gametes start at the bottom. Look at Data Table 1 to see how many of each should be in each round. 2. When gametes are released (i.e., teacher says, Go! ), they will race to the surface, while trying to avoid predators. 3. The surface is a safe zone. Predators cannot enter this area. Gametes may stay for a maximum of fifteen seconds before they head back to the bottom; once gametes leave the surface, they may not go back. 4. All gametes who make it all the way to the surface and back to the bottom are counted and recorded at the end of the round. (Congratulations! You get to grow into an adult coral!) 5. Gametes that are eaten by a predator at any time, will not become an adult and should join the teacher on the sidelines. 6. Everyone must stay in bounds, at all times, or you will dry out. If this happens, join your teacher on the sidelines. DATA TABLE 1: Round A. Number of Predators B. Number of Gametes (at start) C. Number of Gametes who reached adulthood D. Gamete Success Rate (B-C) / C x Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 15

18 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Safety in Numbers Answer Key INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the questions below. 1. How do corals and other organisms benefit from Safety in Numbers? By all of these organisms releasing millions of gametes at the same time, an individual is less likely to be eaten. 2. How did this version of Tag illustrate Safety in Numbers? The more gametes in each round, the less likely an individual would be eaten. 3. Can lone gametes be successful? Give an example from today s Tag activity in your explanation. Yes, a lone gamete can make it to adulthood without being preyed upon. In round 2, Karim was fast enough that he could outrun the predators, even when there were only a few gametes for the predators to go after. 4. Which role did you play today? Now that you have played this game, how would you change your strategy (or how did you change your strategy, if you played more than one round)? Answers may vary. I would not have waited so long in the safety zone because the predators caught up with me and guarded me while I was trying to leave. I would have stayed in a group of others so it was harder for the predator to get to me. 5. How would you change this game to make it better illustrate the concept of Safety in Numbers? Answers may vary. 6. List the best set of three traits you think would be necessary to survive in the wild. Explain why you chose this set of traits. Answers may vary, but may include speed, camouflage, stingers, etc Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

19 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Comic Clones Lesson 2 teacher s Notes AuthorS Melinda Campbell & Maddie O Beirne, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define fragmentation, fission, bailout, and budding. Describe one of the four types of asexual reproduction found in corals. KEYWORDS Asexual Reproduction Bailout Budding Extra-tentacular Budding Fission Fragmentation Intra-tentacular Budding Polyp MATERIALS Colored pencils, crayons, or markers Watch It! Birds and the Bees student worksheet Lesson 2: Comic Clones student worksheet EXTENSION Display the comic strips around the classroom or school building. Have the class critique each one, explaining what is correct or incorrect and how they would improve each strip. EVALUATION Use the grading rubric. STANDARDS CCSS: RST , 5, 7; RST ; SL , 6; SL , 6 NGSS: HS-LS2-8 OLP: 5.C.44, 5.C.47, 5.C.48 PROCEDURE 1. Watch Birds and the Bees YouTube video ( youtube.com/watch) and answer questions on Watch It! Birds and the Bees student worksheet. 2. Teach Background Information section B) Asexual Reproduction. 3. Hand out Lesson 2: Comic Clones student worksheet and go over the grading rubric. 4. Students will work in pairs to design a comic strip version of one of the four forms of asexual reproduction (fragmentation, fission, bailout, or budding). Encourage creativity in creating characters (e.g., to represent the corals, their offspring, or a narrator). 5. Get students to volunteer to present their comic strip to the class. Try to have a presentation of at least one depiction of each form of asexual reproduction Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 17

20 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Student Worksheet Name: Date: Lesson 2 comic clones It s time to make some new corals! But how do these animals reproduce? Many corals can reproduce asexually. That means new organisms are created from a single organism they clone themselves! There are four ways corals reproduce asexually: fragmentation, fission, bailout, and budding. Now that we know how corals make new corals, it s your turn to draw the reproductive cycle! INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Define the types of asexual reproduction in the space below. Type Definition Bailout Budding Fission Fragmentation 2. Choose one of the four types of asexual reproduction found in corals. 3. Make a cartoon strip about your chosen type of asexual reproduction by dividing the large box, on the following page, into 4-6 smaller boxes. Work with a partner to come up with a story and character(s) to demonstrate the process corals go through to make new corals Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

21 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Comic Clones Student Worksheet Cartoon Strip Title: By: 2015 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 19

22 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Comic Clones Student Worksheet GRADING RUBRIC: Category Score Neatness Images are neat and attractive to the eye. Images are attractive to the eye. Images are messy, but still mostly attractive. Images are messy and distracting. Complete Information Comic strip includes all of the information in the definition. Comic strip includes more than half of the information in the definition. Comic strip includes more than a quarter of the information in the definition. Comic strip includes less than a quarter of the information in the definition. Organization Exceptionally clear, logical, and thorough development with excellent transitions between comic strip frames. Clear and logical order with good transitions between comic strip frames. Somewhat clear and logical development with basic transitions between comic strip frames. Lacks development of ideas with weak or no transitions between comic strip frames. Grammar/ Spelling Comic strip is free of errors. Comic strip has only 1-2 errors. Comic strip has 3-5 errors. Comic strip has more than 5 errors. TOTAL Out of 16: Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

23 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Answer Key Lesson 2 comic clones It s time to make some new corals! But how do these animals reproduce? Many corals can reproduce asexually. That means new organisms are created from a single organism they clone themselves! There are four ways corals reproduce asexually: fragmentation, fission, bailout, and budding. Now that we know how corals make new corals, it s your turn to draw the reproductive cycle! INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Define the types of asexual reproduction in the space below. Type Definition Bailout A form of asexual reproduction where a single polyp abandons its colony and settles on substrate to create a new colony. Budding A type of asexual reproduction where a portion of the parent polyp pinches off to form a new individual. Fission A type of asexual reproduction where some coral colonies have the ability to split into two or more colonies, during early developmental stages. Fragmentation A type of asexual reproduction when a coral is intentionally or unintentionally broken off from the parent coral. 2. Choose one of the four types of asexual reproduction found in corals. 3. Make a cartoon strip about your chosen type of asexual reproduction by dividing the large box, on the following page, into 4-6 smaller boxes. Work with a partner to come up with a story and character(s) to demonstrate the process corals go through to make new corals Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 21

24 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Rolling Stones Read it! Author Melinda Campbell, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation LEARNING OBJECTIVEs Read, interpret, and comprehend a blog. Determine how to responsibly use the internet for collecting and responding to information. MATERIALS Internet access Rolling Stones blog ( rolling-stones/) Read It! Rolling Stones student worksheet INTEGRATING SUBJECTS English Language Arts PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Students will have prior knowledge about bias and how to critique the validity of websites. STANDARDS CCSS: RST , 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10; RST , 2, 4, 6, 10 NGSS Practices: 1, 6, 7, 8 teacher s Notes PROCEDURE 1. Have students read Rolling Stones blog ( rolling-stones/). 2. While reading, instruct students to take notes, connecting the information to their prior knowledge. They can note things that they agree and disagree with. A space, called Notes, is provided for this on the Read It! Rolling Stones student worksheet. 3. Ask students to analyze the blog to determine the elements (like tone or visual design) and content that they like and dislike. Remind students to explain why they like or dislike each element they mention. There is also a space provided for these answers on the student worksheet. 4. Have students answer the questions on their worksheet. When they are looking for definitions, they should use the context from the blog, our glossary, or other online resources. You may want to set rules distinguishing other websites or resources that they are allowed to access. 5. If you set up an online community for your class, have the students post their comment(s) from the last question and allow them to respond to each other. If you do not have an online community, have the students share their comment(s) with each other, either orally or by passing their written responses around the classroom Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

25 Name: Date: Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Student Worksheet Read it! rolling Stones INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Read Rolling Stones, a blog from our Tuamotu, French Polynesia mission ( 2. While reading the blog, take notes and connect it to your prior learning. Note things that you agree or disagree with. There is a space, below, for this. 3. Next, document what you like and dislike about this blog in the space below. Be sure to pay attention to things like style and tone, along with the content and visual design. Be sure to explain what it is that you do or do not like about each element. 4. Answer the questions. NOTES: LIKES DISLIKES 2015 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 23

26 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Rolling Stones Student Worksheet 1. Sometimes the central idea of a piece of writing and its purpose are not the same. What is the central idea of this blog (what is the whole blog discussing)? What is the end purpose of the blog (hint: check the title)? 2. What is the question about the Hao lagoon that the author is trying to answer? 3. What conclusion was made by the author? Cite specific textual evidence to support this. 4. Did the author fully support his claim? Explain why you think this. 5. Synchronous spawning, brooders, and gemmae are specific vocabulary for the topic of this blog. Define them below Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

27 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Rolling Stones Student Worksheet 6. Write a sentence of your own creation that connects the three words from #5, above. 7. Is this blog a reliable source for scientific information? Why or why not? 8. Do you notice any bias in this writing? If so, what? 9. Describe three things that you learned while reading this blog entry (they do not have to relate to the central idea). 10. Construct a comment to post in response to this blog. Remember that a good comment makes connections, asks a question, or gives an opinion in a respectful manner. You might want to quote the part of the blog that you are specifically referring to. Don t be afraid to disagree with another writer, but be sure to explain yourself and remain polite Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 25

28 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Rolling Stones Answer Key 1. Sometimes the central idea of a piece of writing and its purpose are not the same. What is the central idea of this blog (what is the whole blog discussing)? What is the end purpose of the blog (hint: check the title)? The central idea is about how corals reproduce. The purpose of the blog is to inform the audience about a specific type of reproduction, involving gemmae, that the scientists observed on this dive. 2. What is the question about the Hao lagoon that the author is trying to answer? How do the pore corals in the Hao lagoon reproduce? 3. What conclusion was made by the author? Cite specific textual evidence to support this. The Hao lagoon pore corals reproduce using gemmae, and not sexual reproduction or other, more common forms of asexual reproduction. Students should have specific quotes to back up this claim, which may vary but might include the following: During our surveys, we found very few small colonies produced through sexual coral reproduction. fragmentation is unlikely to be an important reproductive strategy Littered over the substrate and in depressions on the colony surface were hundreds of round to oval gemmae The high number of these rolling stones produced by one colony of Porites, and their high survivorship, suggests this may be an important mode of coral reproduction for Porites in the Hao Lagoon 4. Did the author fully support his claim? Explain why you think this. Answers may vary. Be sure they explain their reasoning. 5. Synchronous spawning, brooders, and gemmae are specific vocabulary for the topic of this blog. Define them below. Synchronous spawning: a type of sexual reproduction when organisms, such as corals, release their gametes into the water at the same time. Brooders: a type of sexual reproduction where corals fertilize gametes in their gastrovascular cavity, allowing them to grow into planula larvae before being released into the water column. Gemmae: an asexually produced mass of soft tissue which can grow into a separate individual colony Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation

29 Unit 5: Coral Reproduction - Rolling Stones Answer Key 6. Write a sentence of your own creation that connects the three words from #5, above. While many corals sexually reproduce through synchronous spawning or brooding, the pore corals in the Hao lagoon asexually reproduce by forming gemmae. 7. Is this blog a reliable source for scientific information? Why or why not? Yes. This is a first-hand account of what the author has seen. It is from a reputable organization that is based on scientific research. It also links you to the author s credentials. 8. Do you notice any bias in this writing? If so, what? Answers may vary, but should include that the author is an expert in this field. 9. Describe three things that you learned while reading this blog entry (they do not have to relate to the central idea). Answers may vary. 10. Construct a comment to post in response to this blog. Remember that a good comment makes connections, asks a question, or gives an opinion in a respectful manner. You might want to quote the part of the blog that you are specifically referring to. Don t be afraid to disagree with another writer, but be sure to explain yourself and remain polite. Answers may vary Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 27

30 Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum The Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum is a comprehensive educational resource designed to educate people about life on coral reefs. Developed by educators and scientists at the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, this curriculum strives to increase ocean literacy by creating awareness about coral reefs, the threats they face, and how people can help to preserve these diverse ecosystems. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is a US-based nonprofit environmental science organization. The Foundation was established to protect and restore the world s oceans through scientific research, outreach, and education.