Hermatypic coral growth banding as environmental recorder

Nature ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 258 (5537) ◽  
pp. 706-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD EUGENE DODGE ◽  
J. RIMAS VAIŠNYS
Keyword(s):  
Coral Growth ◽  
Hermatypic Coral ◽  
Growth Banding

Microborings and growth in Late Ordovician halysitids and other corals

1993 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 922-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Elias ◽  
Dong-Jin Lee
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Linear Growth ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Weight Percent ◽  
Late Ordovician ◽  
Coral Growth ◽  
Linear Growth Rate ◽  
Skeletal Density ◽  
Rugose Coral ◽  
Endolithic Algae

Microborings in the Late Ordovician tabulate corals Catenipora rubra (a halysitid) and Manipora amicarum (a cateniform nonhalysitid) and in an epizoic solitary rugose coral differ from nearly all of those previously reported in Paleozoic corals. These microborings were formed within the coralla by endolithic algae and fungi located beneath living polyps. Comparable structures in the Late Ordovician tabulate Quepora ?agglomeratiformis (a halysitid) represent algal microborings, not spicules, and halysitids are corals, not sponges as suggested by Kaźmierczak (1989).Endolithic algae in cateniform tabulates relied primarily on light entering through the outer walls of the ranks rather than through the polyps; lacunae within coralla permitted appropriate levels of light to reach many corallites. The direction of boring was determined by corallum microstructure and possibly also by the distribution of organic matter within the skeleton. There is an apparent inverse correlation between boring activity and coral growth rate.The location and relative abundance of pyritized microborings within calcareous coralla can be established quantitatively and objectively from electron microprobe determinations of weight percent sulfur along appropriate traverses of the coral skeleton. The distribution of such microborings in Catenipora rubra and Manipora amicarum is comparable to algal banding in modern corals; this is the first report of such banding in the interiors of Paleozoic corals. Change in the intensity of boring within each corallum was evidently a response to variation in the linear growth rate of the coral, or to fluctuation in an environmental factor (perhaps light intensity) that could control both algal activity and growth rate in these corals. Change in the algal boring intensity and linear growth rate of the coral was generally but not always seasonal and usually but not invariably associated with change in the density of coral skeletal deposition.Cyclic bands of boring abundance maxima within fossil colonial corals provide a measure of annual linear growth comparable to the widely accepted method based on skeletal density bands. Algal bands are more sporadically developed than density bands within and among coralla, thus increasing the difficulty of interpretation. Fluctuations in the abundance of algal microborings apparently provide a detailed record of changes in the linear growth rate of colonies and of individuals within colonies. Combined analyses of microboring abundance and skeletal density will contribute significantly to our understanding of the biological and environmental factors involved in endolithic activity and coral growth.

Effect of 3D printer enabled surface morphology and composition on coral growth in artificial reefs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilse Valenzuela Matus ◽  
Jorge Lino Alves ◽  
Joaquim Góis ◽  
Augusto Barata da Rocha ◽  
Rui Neto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Coral Growth ◽  
Coralline Algae ◽  
Textured Surface ◽  
Crustose Coralline Algae ◽  
Statistical Parameters ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to prove and qualify the influence of textured surface substrates morphology and chemical composition on the growth and propagation of transplanted corals. Use additive manufacturing and silicone moulds for converting three-dimensional samples into limestone mortar with white Portland cement substrates for coral growth. Design/methodology/approach Tiles samples were designed and printed with different geometries and textures inspired by nature marine environment. Commercial coral frag tiles were analysed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to identify the main chemical elements. Raw materials and coral species were selected. New base substrates were manufactured and deployed into a closed-circuit aquarium to monitor the coral weekly evolution process and analyse the results obtained. Findings Experimental results provided positive statistical parameters for future implementation tests, concluding that the intensity of textured surface, interfered favourably in the coralline algae biofilm growth. The chemical composition and design of the substrates were determinant factors for successful coral propagation. Recesses and cavities mimic the natural rocks aspect and promoted the presence and interaction of other species that favour the richness of the ecosystem. Originality/value Additive manufacturing provided an innovative method of production for ecology restoration areas, allowing rapid prototyping of substrates with high complexity morphologies, a critical and fundamental attribute to guarantee coral growth and Crustose Coralline Algae. The result of this study showed the feasibility of this approach using three-dimensional printing technologies.

scholarly journals Coral growth shut down for millennia

Nature ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 518 (7540) ◽  
pp. 459-459
Keyword(s):  
Coral Growth

scholarly journals Coral transplantation on a multilevel substrate of Artificial Patch Reefs: effect of fixing methods on the growth rate of two Acropora species

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Munasik ◽  
AGUS SABDONO ◽  
AZELIA N. ASSYFA ◽  
DIAH PERMATA WIJAYANTI ◽  
SUGIYANTO SUGIYANTO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Patch Reef ◽  
Concrete Block ◽  
Coral Growth ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Lower Survival Rate ◽  
Shallow Reef ◽  
Patch Reefs ◽  
Central Java

Abstract. Munasik, Sabdono A, Assyfa AN, Wijayanti DP, Sugiyanto, Irwani, Pribadi R. 2020. Coral transplantation on a multilevel substrate of Artificial Patch Reefs: effect of fixing methods on the growth rate of two Acropora species. Biodiversitas 21: 1816-1822. Branching Acropora is generally used in coral transplantation to rehabilitate coral reefs. However, these corals are sensitive to environmental changes. Artificial Patch Reef  (APR) is an artificial structure that provides a multilevel hard substrate. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the APR structure to facilitate the growth and survival of Acropora branching. Two species Acropora aspera and Acropora copiosa were transplanted vertically and horizontally on a modular concrete block in different levels of APR situated in the shallow reef of Panjang Island, Central Java. The results showed that the coral growth rate varied from 96.7 to 346.9 cm3/month, while survival ranged from 30 to 100% after 8 months. Lower survival rate mostly was found in the upper level of APR. The statistical analyses showed that the growth rate of A. copiosa fragment was significantly higher than that of A. aspera  (p<0.05). Moreover, there were also significant differences in the treatments of transplantation method  (p<0.05) to enhance coral growth. However, multilevel substrates were not significantly influenced by coral growth. This study suggested that A. copiosa which has high-level complexity in branching pattern will be selected to apply in shallow reef rehabilitation with transplanted vertically.

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