Blog #2 Coral Reefs ~ Water, Carbon, and Nitrogen Cycles By Andrea Alcantar

The water cycle is the process by which water on earth goes into the atmosphere and back to the earth again.  The first thing that happens in the water cycle is that when it rains or snows, the rain and snow come from the clouds.  The water then goes into the ground, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc.  After this, evaporation happens, which is when the heat from the sun changes the water changes into gas.  The gas then forms and rises, turning into clouds.  When the water vapor gets too heavy it falls to the ground, which is what rain is.  If the temperature is very cold, then it will not rain, but instead it will snow.  The cycle is then completed, and it starts all over again.  The coral reefs is not affect by the water cycle because the water just evaporates and then turns to gas and back to clouds (“Coral Reefs: Water Cycle”).

            The carbon cycle is the biochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the earth (Harrison).  The main processes of the carbon cycle are photosynthesis and respiration.  Carbon exists in the atmosphere as the compound, carbon dioxide.  It first enters the ecological food web when photosynthesis organisms, such as plants, produce energy for consumers (animals) to feed off of.  Through this process, carbon is passed throughout different organisms (“What is the Carbon Cycle”). 

Respiration is the second step that comes after photosynthesis, because animals breathe in oxygen breath out carbon dioxide.  After the carbon is released, it is then returned to the atmosphere.  The coral reefs are affected by the carbon cycle, because if there were no plants, then animals would not be able to get the carbon that they need to survive.  Also, there would be no way for the carbon to return to the atmosphere (“What is the Carbon Cycle”).

            Nitrogen is the way most of the air we breathe is made.  The way that nitrogen works is by first going through the process of nitrogen fixation.  This process is done because most of the living things can not use nitrogen in the N2 state because it is to stable.  Also, it will not react with our molecules.  One way that nature fixes nitrogen naturally is by lightning.  This is because lightning begins a chain of chemical reactions which result in “fixed” nitrogen, which plants may take up into their roots.  Another way that nature fixes nitrogen naturally is through bacteria (Abboud).     

When the nitrogen is fixed plants can used it, and then primary consumer eats the plants.  This causes the consumer to gain the nitrogen that it needs to survive.  After the primary consumer, the secondary consumer eats the primary consumer.  The second consumer then receives the nitrogen that it needs to survive.  When this whole process is over, the secondary consumer eventually dies off, and its remains are broken up by decomposers.  The decomposers take the organic compounds and the nitrogen cycle continues (Abboud). 

Next, the denitrifying bacteria send nitrogen back up to the atmosphere, and the cycle starts over.  This cycle would not negatively affect coral reefs because coral reefs have plants, jut underwater.  Though the plants are in the ocean, they can still participate in the cycle, keeping the coral reef environment stable (Abboud).

Works Cited

Abboud, Peter. "Nitrogen." Nitrogen. Web. 25 April 2011.

"Coral Reefs: Water Cycle." Abcteach -- Free Printables, Interactives. Web. 25 April 2011.

Harrison, John. “The Carbon Cycle.” Visionlearning. 2003. Web. 25 April 2011.   

“What is the Carbon Cycle?” Oracle ThinkQuest. Education Foundation. Web. 25 April 2011.