What prediction can be made about how the distribution of coral reef populations would be affected if the oceans in which they live were to experience significantly more cloudiness of the water?

The coral population would decrease due to lack of sunlight.

Explanation:

Coral reefs need to receive sunlight, this will not be possible if there is too much cloudiness in the water. The cloudiness would not allow sunlight to reach the corals and this would cause the corals to die and the coral population to decrease in the ocean. Corals need light because zooxanthellae algae use light to produce their food, much like terrestrial plants. Since many of the corals harbor zooxanthellae, we can say that corals live on light. Depending on the species, corals really can live almost exclusively on light (Acropora spp - up to 98% of their nutrition from symbiotic algae).

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