waterdrop
Enthusiastic "Re-Beginner"
Was reading this interesting tidbit this morning about some work out of Oregon State Univ. looking at how algae live in symbiotic relationships with coral polyps. The article talks about how the algae do most of the carbon-fixing that the corals need, providing up to 95% of their sugars to the coral but that in return the algae get nitrogen from the waste of the coral polyps.
The delicate symbiotic relationship seems to exist because the coral polyp immune system gets signals from the algae that its ok for the algae to be there. Those signals are now threatened by the rising of average water temps in the oceans of the globe. The signals break down and the immune system of the polyps goes after the algae, regardless of the fact that the algae are so beneficial to them. The polyps will die after the loss of their sugar/energy source and this is thought to be one of the mechanisms of coral reef loss.
Just thought all of you fishless cyclers would find it interesting to see some of the analogies between corals and the things you read about our biofilter bacteria!
You can read the little science news release Here.
~~waterdrop~~
The delicate symbiotic relationship seems to exist because the coral polyp immune system gets signals from the algae that its ok for the algae to be there. Those signals are now threatened by the rising of average water temps in the oceans of the globe. The signals break down and the immune system of the polyps goes after the algae, regardless of the fact that the algae are so beneficial to them. The polyps will die after the loss of their sugar/energy source and this is thought to be one of the mechanisms of coral reef loss.
Just thought all of you fishless cyclers would find it interesting to see some of the analogies between corals and the things you read about our biofilter bacteria!
You can read the little science news release Here.
~~waterdrop~~
