Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2020-09-10T20:09:40.000Z
Views:
549
Video Title:
Signals from the Sea - Coral Settlement Experiments at the Smithsonian Marine Station
Description:
After spawning in late summer, new coral larvae begin the hunt for homes on the reefs, following subtle chemical cues to find a suitable site to attach and begin life affixed to the reef. Research by Smithsonian scientists has shown that the chemical tetrabromopyrrole (TBP), which is produced by bacteria which live on tough, pink-and-purple crusts known as crustose coralline algae (CCA), play a role in how some coral species' larvae settle down. Several of these coral species are endangered or threatened in the wild, including pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus), mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata) and elkhorn coral (Acropora cervicornis). Working with TBP and larvae of these corals, contributed by scientific partners from all around Florida, Smithsonian Marine Station scientists were able to experiment with getting new corals to settle down in the lab. If successful, the ability to reliably induce settlement in a controlled setting could greatly enhance coral reef conservation efforts. Coral larvae were provided by: --Biscayne National Park/National Park Service --The Florida Aquarium --University of Miami --CCAs provided by Mote Marine Laboratory --TBP provided by Dr. Vinayak Agarwal/Georgia Institute of Technology --Experimental settlement tiles provided by SECORE International
