Project SECORE update...

[justinzimm]

Last Thursday I returned from Puerto Rico and the third project SECORE workshop! After resting for a few days I thought the club might want to check out the recently updated SECORE website and the new Web-blog put together during this years spawnning.

If you aren't familiar with SECORE, it stands for SExual COral REproduction. It's goals are to aquaculture corals from the eggs and sperm released by the parent colonies.

For the last two years we have focused on Acropora palmata, the elkhorn coral. It's currently listed as protected under the endangered species act and is one of only two acroporas that grow in the Caribbean.

Below is a picture of one of the first project SECORE A. palmata colonies. (from Dirk Peterson, Netherlands)

Here are the links to the SECORE website and Webblog:

http://www.secore.org/

http://www.secore.org//index_weblog.htm

I have lots of pictures that aren't on the site. If I have time and it's OK with everyone I could bring them to a meeting for a slideshow.

Justin

 

[sytanek]

wow, what an awesome project! How did you get involved in it?

 

[justinzimm]

SeaWorld sent me! Working for Shamu has some benefits....

Currently SECORE is limited to aquarium professionals and university researchers.

The cool thing about SECORE is that each coral is an individual. Almost all the corals in the hobby are clones of each other from fragging. But SECORE helps create genetic diversity.

Most stands of acropora in the keys are from one or two individual clones. They did genetic analysis on hundreds of them and found that they are mostly reproducing from fragmentation.

Last year one of the SECORE members (Mitch Carl from Omaha Zoo and Aquarium) grew out over 1000 baby A. palmata corals. This might be more genetic individuals than are left in the Florida Keys!!!

Justin

 

[cham]

Awesome work. I would love to be involved in something like that. Good for you!!!!


Now you guys can start mixing the sperm of purple acros to pink ones and start cranking out some cool stuff!!!

 

[bkwudzjeep]

Very cool stuff!! Has any evidence been found to show when the spawning occurs, or what actually causes it?

I have seen a few threads on RC where spawning has occured in somebody's tank, but everything pretty much went into the sump, or the fish ate them. The later occurs in the wild anyways, but I don't think our oceans have a sump...

Again though, very cool stuff to be involved with!

 

[justinzimm]

With Caribbean Acroporas they spawn only once a year. I think it's either the 7th or so day after the full moon in August. Usually you can set your watch to it. Since the full moon came very early this month some of the colonies had what is called a "split spawn" This means, about half spawned last week and the others may spawn in early september. If the moon was full a week or so later they all would have spawned at the same time.

Some other corals spawn on a monthly cycle, while others will spawn continuously. To add to the confusion, some corals are male or female, some are hermaphrodites and other can change sex.

Justin

 

[ben&bobbi]

would this be why i have purple digitata showing up all over the tank? They usually are really small, maybe a few poylps when i finally see them, but they are across the tank from the original colony.

 

[justinzimm]

Really had to tell. Pretty sure that digitata is a broadcast spawner. So it would be hard for any larvae to float around your aquarium for a few days until they are old enough to settle out. Pocillopora damicornis does this in reef tanks too. Some people think it's through a-sexual polyp bail out. Others think it might be sexual reproduction. I guess the only way to find out is with DNA?