Lesion regeneration rates in reef-building corals Montastraea spp. as indicators of colony condition

Phosphomonoesterases in Reef-Building Corals.

Genetic, spatial, and temporal components of precise spawning synchrony in reef building corals of the Montastraea annularis species complex.

When organisms release gametes into the sea, synchrony must be precise to increase fertilization and decrease hybridization. We tagged and genotyped over 400 spawning corals from the three species in the Montastraea annularis species complex. We report on the influence of species, individuals, and genotypes on timing of spawning from 2002 through 2009. During their annual spawning event M. fran...

Intraspecific Variation in Physiological Condition of Reef-Building Corals Associated with Differential Levels of Chronic Disturbance

Even in the absence of major disturbances (e.g., cyclones, bleaching), corals are subject to high levels of partial or whole-colony mortality, often caused by chronic and small-scale disturbances. Depending on levels of background mortality, these chronic disturbances may undermine individual fitness and have significant consequences on the ability of colonies to withstand subsequent acute dist...

A Connection between Colony Biomass and Death in Caribbean Reef-Building Corals

Increased sea-surface temperatures linked to warming climate threaten coral reef ecosystems globally. To better understand how corals and their endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) respond to environmental change, tissue biomass and Symbiodinium density of seven coral species were measured on various reefs approximately every four months for up to thirteen years in the Upper Florid...

Environmental factors affecting tissue regeneration of the reef--building coral Montastraea annularis (Faviidae) at Los Roques National Park, Venezuela.

In this study, the rates of tissue regeneration and recovery from injuries that emulated the bites of either butterfly or parrotfish on colonies of Montastraea annularis exposed to different sedimentation regimesp were determined. Two small reef patches were chosen close to key Dos Mosquises, north of the Venezuclan mainland. Sixteen colonies (8 treatments + a single replicate) were artificiall...