Sixth Extinction Chapter 7
- What is odd about the names One Tree Island and Heron Island?
- What are some of the names of scientific teams that visited in the past?
- How was Darwin's theory about the origins of atolls proved correct?
- How are the coral on One-Tree Island different from other calcifiers?
- What is a mesocosm? What was the problem with the mescocosm on Heron Island?
- Why did Caldeira quit his work as a software developer?
- Kolbert describes several interesting-looking creatures on DK-13. What is one description that you find striking?
- How bright were the stars on DK-13?
- What went wrong with Biosphere 2?
- What happens to corals if the saturation state drops too much?
- What substance "cements" reefs together?
- Why was the experience of diving off the reef "like trying to catalog a dream"?
- How many species live on coral reefs, as an estimate?
- Where do the Guadalupe mountains in west Texas come from?
- What is a reef gap?
- What other human factors endanger reefs?
- What are some ways Kolbert "humanizes" or "anthropomorphizes" the coral polyps and other life on the island?
- How do birds on the island keep from "outstripping" the island resources?
- How are the corals like the Jews?
- Why do coral polyps reproduce sexually and asexually?
Essay: Describe or quote a few examples of your favorite descriptions in this chapter. What did you find interesting about them?