Question

The passage suggests which of the following about coral reef communities?

• A. Coral reef communities may actually be more likely to thrive in waters that are relatively low in nutrients.
• B. The nutrients on which coral reef communities thrive are only found in shallow waters.
• C. Human population growth has led to changing ocean temperatures, which threatens coral reef communities.
• D. The growth of coral reef communities tends to destabilize underwater herbivore populations.

Answer 1

The correct option is A Coral reef communities may actually be more likely to thrive in waters that are relatively low in nutrients.

Option A

“How do clear, and thus nutrient-poor, waters support such prolific and productive communities?” This is the first question that arises in the author’s mind when he thinks about the corals. On his intent to find out the answer, he discovered that the corals produce food for themselves through the zooxanthellae algae using the metabolic wastes of themselves and hence they actually thrive in water that are relatively low in nutrients. He also explains that human activities increase nutrient content in these waters and degradation of shallow waters and hence cause deterioration of coral reefs. So we can conclude that coral reef communities may actually be more likely to thrive in waters that are relatively low in nutrients.