National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS)
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- A unique reproductive strategy in the mushroom coral Fungia fungitesEyal-Shaham, Lee; Eyal, Gal; Ben-Zvi, Or; Sakai, Kazuhiko; Harii, Saki; Sinniger, Frederic; Hirose, Mamiko; Cabaitan, Patrick; Bronstein, Omri; Feldman, Bar; Shlesinger, Tom; Levy, Oren; Loya, Yossi (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2020-09-30)The vast majority of scleractinian corals are either simultaneous hermaphrodites or gonochoric. Exceptions to these are rare. Nevertheless, species belonging to the family Fungiidae are known to exhibit a wide variety of reproductive strategies. We examined the reproductive ecology of the mushroom coral Fungia fungites in Okinawa. Our study was conducted as part of a long-term, wide-ranging project (2009–2010 and 2013–2017) which explored the unique reproductive strategies of several species belonging to the family Fungiidae. Here we report the co-occurrence of males, females, and hermaphrodite individuals in a long-term monitored population of the reproductively atypical brooder coral F. fungites within the family Fungiidae. F. fungites status as a single-polyped solitary coral, was used to perform manipulative experiments to determine the degree of dependence of an individual coral on its conspecific neighbors for reproduction, and examined whether a constant sperm supply is obligatory for the continuous production of planulae. Isolated females of F. fungites exhibited a distinctive reproductive strategy, expressed in continuously releasing planulae also in the absence of males. Observations conducted on a daily basis for 2.5 months (throughout the reproductive season of 2015) revealed that some of these individuals released planulae continuously, often between tens and hundreds every day. In an effort to explain this phenomenon, three hypotheses are discussed: (1) Self-fertilization; (2) Asexual production of planulae (i.e., parthenogenetic larvae); and (3) Extended storage of sperm. Finally, we emphasize the importance of continuous and long-term monitoring of studies of coral reproduction; through further genetic studies of coral populations representing a broad range of species and their larval origin.
- Japan, China trade barbs on WPS; PCG: Coral reef damage 'extensive'Requejo, Rey; Lopez, Vince; Ramos-Araneta, Macon (Philippine Manila Standard Publishing, Inc., 2023-09-19)Japan on Monday raised concern over the extensive maritime damage in waters frequented by Chinese militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea, but China quickly shot back by denouncing Tokyo’s release of contaminated water from its Fukushima nuclear plant. The Japanese Embassy in Manila said the damage done to coral reefs, presumably by Chinese boats in Rozul (Iroquois) Reef was “very alarming news.” “Our oceans are the lifeblood of our plant, and coral reefs are its colorful heartbeat. Let’s preserve and protect these vital ecosystems for generations to come,” Japan’s Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko said on his X social media account.