User:Lmarshall33/sandbox


 * I already added this to the page entitled "Coral Bleaching"

 Coral Bleaching Due to Photoinhibition of Zooxanthellae 

Zooxanthellae are a type of dinoflagellate that live within the cytoplasm of many marine invertebrates. Members of the phylum Dinoflagellata, they are a round micro-algae that are share a symbiotic relationship with their host. They are also part of the genus Symbiodinium and Kingdom Alveolata. These organisms are phytoplankton and therefore photosynthesize. The products of photosynthesis, ie. oxygen, sugar, etc. are harnessed by the host organism, and in exchange, the zooxanthellae are offered housing and protection, as well as carbon dioxide, phosphates and other essential inorganic compounds that help them to survive and thrive. Zooxanthellae share 95% of the products of photosynthesis with their host coral. According to the a study done by D.J. Smith et al. photoinhibition is a likely factor in coral bleaching. It also suggests that the hydrogen peroxide produced in zooxanthellae plays a role in signaling themselves to flee the corals.

Here is the citation that I included in my article addition:

Smith, D. J., Suggett, D. J., & Baker, N. R. (2005). Is photoinhibition of zooxanthellae photosynthesis the primary cause of thermal bleaching in corals? In Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-8817.2003.00895.x

I also cited the dictionary for the definition of zooxanthellae.