Conditions Required for Coral Growth

Question 1

What are the conditions required for coral growth?

Answer 1

• salinity, bc can only survive in salty water w a salinity lvl above 32 ppt
• warm ocean T°Cs of around 23-25°C, thus are located within tropics of Cancer + Capricorn
• light, bc symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), living inside coral, need light for photosynthesis, which produces O2 that coral rely on, + so only grow in shallow waters, around 25m deep, where light can reach them
• localised wave movements, bc provide O2 + nutrients needed to survive, + helps remove any trapped sediment
• clean water, bc any sediment + pollutants in water can block sunlight, poison coral + disrupt feeding