What factors might account for the fact that the vast majority of atolls occur in the Indian and Pacific oceans and that atolls are rare in the Atlantic?
To determine: The factors that might account for the fact that the vast majority of atolls occur in the Indian and Pacific oceans and that atolls are rare in the Atlantic.
Introduction: A ring of coral reef and the islands or sand clays that are surrounded by a central lagoon is known as atolls. In the Indo-West Pacific region, there are a vast majority of atolls. The Indo-West Pacific region is the tropical region of Indian and western Pacific oceans. Atolls are rare in the Caribbean and other region of the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
Explanation of Solution
The factors that might account for the fact that the vast majority of atolls occur in the Indian and Pacific oceans and those atolls are rare in the Atlantic are as follows:
- Atolls are mostly found far from the land by rising up from depths of thousands of meters.
- At this region, there are no land around, no fresh water runoff, and no river-borne silt.
- The crests of atoll reef are strongly influenced by waves and winds as the Indo-West Pacific region is the region of trade winds belt where the wind flows in a consistence direction.
- This region creates various undersea volcanoes and islands those are far from the land and fresh water region.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 14 Solutions
MARINE BIOLOGY
- How will the loss of kelp likely change the ecosystem?arrow_forwardU.S. coral reef ecosystems cover less than one percent of the Earth's surface yet are among the most diverse and productive communities on Earth. We rely on reef ecosystems for food, shelter, tourism, and recreation. Despite the importance of reefs, these ecosystems are in trouble. Scientists are working to understand the extent of and reasons for the decline of coral reefs and to provide managers with more effective ways to protect them. A. Think of the distributions of stony coral and how it seems to be the most prominent. A scientist wants to figure out if this has to do with the stony coral growing on multiple substrates. i. Identify a reasonable hypothesis that would help guide the scientist to their answer. ii. Identify the dependent variable in your proposed hypothesis. iii. Explain how the results of the experiment might be affected by other influences in the ecosystem. B. Use the map to identify the following: i. Identify the predominant locations where coral reefs are…arrow_forwardWhy is productivity of coral reef maximum?arrow_forward
- How did the Great Barrier Reef arrive at this current condition? What's interesting about this ecosystem?arrow_forwardBetween Tenerife and La Gomera, which island would be expected to have a greater number of species? In your discussion of why, focus on the primary difference between the islands (size or distance from the mainland) A) Tenerife B) La Gomera and whyarrow_forwardAccording to the morphological species concept, would you classify benthics and limnetics as A) a single species B) separate species C) the species status is not clear according to this species concept. Explain in 2-3 sentences. (I think the answer is separate species, not sure how to explain this...)arrow_forward
- With respect to planktonic communities in the ocean, which ONE of the following statements is correct? a. Population numbers of plankton species vary over time, but in particular places are consistent b. Population numbers of plankton species are consistent over time, but vary from place to place c. The diversity of planktonic communities is constantly changing, and dominance by any one group is always correlated with one or more environmental factors d. The diversity of planktonic communities is stable over time, and no one group ever achieves dominance e. The diversity of planktonic communities is constantly changing, and dominance by any one group is not correlated with any environmental factorarrow_forwardWhat were the "north American megafauna" (name a species or 2) and what are the main reasons they are believed to have become extinct?arrow_forwardBetween La Palma and Lanzarote, which island would be expected to have a greater number of species? In your discussion of why, focus on the primary difference between the islands (size or distance from the mainland) A) La palma b) Lanzarote and why?arrow_forward
- Specifically, what kinds of organisms are most important in deposition of calcium carbonate on coral reefs?arrow_forwardOn the island of Mauritius and in the Azores, the habitat is very suitable to what animals, even though they never occurred there naturally until accidentally introduced?arrow_forwardOne direct effect of the zebra mussel invasion was a decrease in the cloudiness of the water. How did this affect species in the Hudson River ecosystem?arrow_forward
- Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)BiologyISBN:9780134580999Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. HoehnPublisher:PEARSONBiology 2eBiologyISBN:9781947172517Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann ClarkPublisher:OpenStaxAnatomy & PhysiologyBiologyISBN:9781259398629Author:McKinley, Michael P., O'loughlin, Valerie Dean, Bidle, Theresa StouterPublisher:Mcgraw Hill Education,
- Molecular Biology of the Cell (Sixth Edition)BiologyISBN:9780815344322Author:Bruce Alberts, Alexander D. Johnson, Julian Lewis, David Morgan, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter WalterPublisher:W. W. Norton & CompanyLaboratory Manual For Human Anatomy & PhysiologyBiologyISBN:9781260159363Author:Martin, Terry R., Prentice-craver, CynthiaPublisher:McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.Inquiry Into Life (16th Edition)BiologyISBN:9781260231700Author:Sylvia S. Mader, Michael WindelspechtPublisher:McGraw Hill Education