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Broadcast spawning by Pocillopora species on the Great Barrier Reef
Citation
Schmidt-Roach, S and Miller, KJ and Woolsey, E and Gerlach, G and Baird, AH, Broadcast spawning by Pocillopora species on the Great Barrier Reef, PLoS One, 7, (12) Article e50847. ISSN 1932-6203 (2012) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
DOI: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050847
Abstract
The coral genus Pocillopora is one of the few to include some species that broadcast spawn gametes and some species that
brood larvae, although reports of reproductive mode and timing vary within and among species across their range. Notably,
the ubiquitous Pocillopora damicornis has been described as both a brooder and spawner, although evidence of broadcast
spawning is rare. Here, we report observations of broadcast-spawning in four species of Pocillopora on the Great Barrier Reef
(GBR), including P. damicornis. All species spawned predictably during the early morning, two days following the full moon,
and spawning was observed in multiple months over the summer period (November to February). Eggs and sperm were
free-spawned concurrently. Eggs were negatively buoyant and contained Symbiodinium. This newfound knowledge on the
mode, timing and regularity of broadcast spawning in Pocillopora spp. on the GBR brings us one step closer to elucidating
the complex reproductive ecology of these species.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | coral, reproduction, broadcast spawning, Pocillopora |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environment |
Objective Group: | Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity |
Objective Field: | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity |
Author: | Schmidt-Roach, S (Mr Sebastian Schmidt-Roach) |
Author: | Miller, KJ (Dr Karen Miller) |
ID Code: | 81506 |
Year Published: | 2012 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 21 |
Deposited By: | Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration |
Deposited On: | 2012-12-11 |
Last Modified: | 2013-05-07 |
Downloads: | 305 View Download Statistics |
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