KarunAiptasiaResearch
New member
Hello Everyone,
I am doing a science research project in Highschool. I am currently working on creating a project outline on extracting the symbiodinium from samples of Aiptasia Pallida and introducing said symbiodinium to bleached zoanthid fragments. With the hopes of reviving the fragments and increasing the thermal resilience of the zoanthids.
I wanted to see if any researchers or aquarists with experience could confirm that this would be possible. A study by Buerger et. al extracted Aiptasia symbiodinium then induced heat stress on the symbiodinium in vitro then reintroduced the symbiodinium to the host coral which lacked the dinoflagellates. https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.aba2498
I wanted to take the resilient Aiptasia symbiodinium and infuse it into the not so resilient zoanthids.
I plan on extracting the Aiptasia symbiodinium by blending the Aiptasia then centrifuging to separate the symbiodinium cells. Once I have collected enough of the algae I would be able to introduce it to bleached zoanthid fragments. The bleached fragments should accept the symbiodinium, at least I think so.
I plan in introducing the Aiptasia symbiodinium to the zoanthids by putting them in the same tank. According to the study I linked above this should work.
I just wanted to get other peoples' opinions on this, and see if others think it is possible to transfer the symbiodinium to another coral species. I believe its pretty doable due to the fact that cnidarians utilize very similar fundamental zooxanthellae, and many corals have multiple types of zooxanthellae within the host at one time.
Any help is appreciated!
Thank you,
KarunAiptasiaResearch
I am doing a science research project in Highschool. I am currently working on creating a project outline on extracting the symbiodinium from samples of Aiptasia Pallida and introducing said symbiodinium to bleached zoanthid fragments. With the hopes of reviving the fragments and increasing the thermal resilience of the zoanthids.
I wanted to see if any researchers or aquarists with experience could confirm that this would be possible. A study by Buerger et. al extracted Aiptasia symbiodinium then induced heat stress on the symbiodinium in vitro then reintroduced the symbiodinium to the host coral which lacked the dinoflagellates. https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.aba2498
I wanted to take the resilient Aiptasia symbiodinium and infuse it into the not so resilient zoanthids.
I plan on extracting the Aiptasia symbiodinium by blending the Aiptasia then centrifuging to separate the symbiodinium cells. Once I have collected enough of the algae I would be able to introduce it to bleached zoanthid fragments. The bleached fragments should accept the symbiodinium, at least I think so.
I plan in introducing the Aiptasia symbiodinium to the zoanthids by putting them in the same tank. According to the study I linked above this should work.
I just wanted to get other peoples' opinions on this, and see if others think it is possible to transfer the symbiodinium to another coral species. I believe its pretty doable due to the fact that cnidarians utilize very similar fundamental zooxanthellae, and many corals have multiple types of zooxanthellae within the host at one time.
Any help is appreciated!
Thank you,
KarunAiptasiaResearch
