Description

This activity uses coral bleaching as the context to review redox chemistry concepts. The activity is in two parts:

1. Coral_Bleaching_and_SST: Students review basic coral biology and use the NOAA Coral Reef Watch online database to obtain authentic data for sea surface temperature (SST) at one of four coral reef regions. The students then use Excel to analyze SST trends and compare results between student groups and make predictions for coral bleaching risk. This is a version of the exercise developed by K. Grayson, which is also posted on this same HHMI Biointeractive QUBES collection site.
    
2. Radicals_and_Coral_Bleaching: In this classroom or homework activity, students first review the concepts of the Q₁₀temperature coefficient, oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, free radicals, and antioxidants. This is then placed in the context of the prior activity on coral bleaching and SST, and a recent study (Young et al., 2016) examining genetic differences in corals across a latitudinal gradient that may contribute to greater antioxidant capacity in warmer climates. The activity includes 12 questions that would ideally be administered as in-class active learning questions, but could also be homework or an in-class quiz.

Notes

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