Climate change is increasing the risk of extinction. C. Why do you think the populations of parrotfish and long-spined sea urchins changed the way they did? Observe: Click Advance year to year 20. Staghorn corals are dying 6. In the last 30 years the Staghorn Coral population has decreased by 80% from disease, pollution, development and damage. Confirm your observations by viewing the DATA tab. 5. Since the population of algae dramatically increased, the parrotfish and long spined sea urchins population increased as well due to the fact that there is more algae for them to feed on which results in their higher population growth. What changes do you see? Click Return to original settings and Restart. Elkhorn and Staghorn are some of the fastest-growing corals and are excellent reef-builders, meaning that their decline threatens many other species.
6. Coral reefs are at high risk of being the first global ecosystem to be lost due to climate change. Being a primary reef building hard coral, the Staghorn Coral has a lot of work to do. The coral receives nutrients and oxygen from algae, and the algae receive nutrients and carbon dioxide from the coral. 6. Click Return to original settings and Restart. Corals live in symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relation with algae. They are currently listed as critically endangered as there has been a population reduction exceeding 80% over the past 30 years. Click Advance year two times. This is due mostly to the effects of disease, but climate change and human-related factors are also suggested. Set the White band infection rate to 100%.

What changes do you see? Why do you think the population of staghorn corals increased? What do you see? Observe: Select the CORAL REEF tab. Staghorn Corals are vulnerable to extreme weather events, which are on the increase as a result of climate change, and are easily damaged by hurricanes. What do you see? They are also susceptible to disease, which can spread quickly and kill off entire colonies, and at risk from ocean acidification, invasive species and direct contact with humans, mainly through the fishing industry and tourism. Rising sea temperature increases algae … Why do you think the population of staghorn corals increased? Observe: Select the CORAL REEF tab. This was due to the fact that the staghorn coral population has been reduced 80% over the past years.

Set the White band infection rate to 100%. The main threat to the staghorn coral is the increase in temperatures at sea as result of global climate change. Click Advance year two times. This causes coral bleaching in which results in zooxanthellae algae being lost (IUCN, 2016). Observe: Click Advance year to year 20.


Its the fastest growing Coral 5. The corals’ striking colours come from a symbiotic relationship with a type of algae.