Question

Describe how increasing stress to the ocean would affect a food chain containing zooxanthellae, corals, parrotfish, and sharks.

Short answer

Ocean stresses like increasing levels of pollution and rising temperatures exhibit a tremendous effect on the food chain comprising zooxanthellae, corals, sharks, and parrotfish.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction

Over the coming years and centuries, the health of the ocean will become significantlystressed due to some of theassociating factors likeocean acidification, rising seawater temperature, and ocean deoxygenation. The prime ocean stressors areclimate change impacts andpollution.

Explanation

Theocean stresses like elevated levels of pollution and rising temperaturesmake corals expel their zooxanthellae symbionts. This results in bleaching of corals, and death in case no new zooxanthellae colonize the corals.

The diminishing coralswill reduce the food source accessible to parrotfish, resulting in thedecline of the parrotfish population. With lesser accessibilityof prey animals, the population of sharksin the region will alsoget reduced.