All organisms within an ecosystem participate in relationships with other organisms. Some relationships benefit the organisms and are essential for both species to survive. Others are detrimental (negative) to one organism, but critical for the other organism. Symbiosis and mutualism are not the same thing! Symbiosis is defined as any long-term relationship between two or more species. Mutualism is a type of symbiosis. Two other types of symbiosis found in ecosystems are commensalism and parasitism. Commensalism is when one organism benefits from the relationship, while the other one is neither helped nor harmed. An example of commensalism is a barnacle on a whale. The barnacle gets protection and transportation to different food sources while the whale is neither helped nor harmed by the presence of the barnacle. Parasitism is when one organism benefits, but harms the other member in the relationship.

For this SLP assignment, you will research three examples of symbiosis and develop a PowerPoint presentation that includes the following:

Slide 1: Title Slide
Title Slide with Name, Course, and Date

Slide 2: Introduction
Topics to be covered in outline form

Slide 3: Mutualism
Find an example of mutualism and describe the relationship between the two organisms. Give three examples (three points that cover the benefits and at least one drawback) to describe the benefits and potential limitations of the relationship (remember from your Case assignment, even mutually beneficial relationships can have drawbacks as noted with the monkeys and wolves). Show an image to illustrate the relationship.

Slide 4: Commensalism
Find an example of commensalism and describe the relationship between the two organisms. Give three examples to describe the benefits and limitations of the relationship. Show an image to illustrate the relationship.

Slide 5: Parasitism
Find an example of parasitism and describe the relationship between the two organisms. Give three examples to describe the benefits and limitations of the relationship. Show an image to illustrate the relationship.

Slides 6-8: Exploring Ecosystems
Watch the following video:
Exploring Ecosystems: Coral Reef Symbiosis | California Academy of Sciences
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EUUEPinEcQ

Describe two examples of mutualistic relationships found on the coral reef in the video. Be sure to describe how each organism benefits in the relationship. Provide images illustrating the relationships. How do these interactions influence patterns of distribution and abundance within this ecosystem as a whole?

Slide 9: Conclusion
Summarize your project findings.

Slide 10: References

APA Format