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Performance Task

Health of Coral Reefs

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  • Did You Know?

When a coral reef is damaged, two components are critical to reestablish the health of the ecosystem.

RECOVERY: The return of hard and soft coral coverage to pre-disturbance levels.

REASSEMBLY: The return of coral composition to pre-disturbance levels.

Coral Health Checkup

Coral Health Checkup

You are a biologist studying a coral reef that has been damaged in a storm. You use the functions below to model the percent of coral recovery and reassembly over time, where $$x$$ is the number of years since the reef was damaged.

Recovery: $$f(x) = 0.7x^2 + 6.3x$$
Reassembly: $$g(x) = 8.5\sqrt{x} + 42$$

Write a brief report detailing the projected percents of recovery and reassembly over time. Include a graph of each function in your report.

Due to frequent natural variations in the composition of the reef, 85% reassembly is used as a benchmark to show that the composition has returned to its original levels. As part of your report, show when the reef is expected to reach 100% recovery and 85% reassembly using graphical and algebraic methods.


photo of fish swimming amongst coral

Did You Know?

  • Protecting coral reefs in the sea is equivalent to protecting the rain forests on land.
  • A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two different organisms living in close proximity that is mutually beneficial to both. Corals and algae live in symbiosis. Corals provide protection to the algae that live inside their outer shells and algae provide food for corals through photosynthesis.
  • When water is too warm, corals will expel algae from their shells causing the corals to turn white. This process is called coral bleaching.

Find Out More — Search Topics

  • Coral reef health
  • Symbiosis
  • Coral bleaching