EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Corals need to grow in shallow water where sunlight can reach them. Hence statement 1 is correct. Corals depend on the zooxanthellae (algae) that grow inside of them for oxygen and other things, and since these algae need sunlight to survive, corals also need sunlight to survive.

Detailed explanation-2: -Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most reef-building corals live in clear, shallow waters that are penetrated by sunlight.

Detailed explanation-3: -While shallow-water coral reefs are vital ecosystems, there is actually a higher diversity of corals found in cold, deeper waters (>200m) throughout the Earth’s oceans. Coral has evolved many adaptations over time to thrive in both shallow and deep environments.

Detailed explanation-4: -Not all corals live in warm water – in fact, over half of all known coral species are found in cold, deep, and dark waters. Dense fields of Lophelia pertusa, a common deep-sea reef-building coral, found on the Blake Plateau knolls.

Detailed explanation-5: -Sunlight: Corals grow in shallow water where the sunlight can reach them. The algae that live inside of them, zooxanthellae, need sunlight to survive, since the coral animal depends on the zooxanthellae, corals need sunlight to survive.