Latest Anthozoa Stories
By Anonymous OCEANOGRAPHY An ocean odor that affects global climate also gathers reef fish to feed as they "eavesdrop" on events that might lead them to food, according to a study by the University of California, Davis. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is given off by algae and phytoplankton, microscopic one-celled plants that float in the ocean. Release of DMSP usually indicates that tiny animals in the plankton are feeding on the algae, or a massive growth of algae- an algal bloom-has...
By Robertson, D Ross Smith-Vaniz, William F Coral reefs, one of the most biologically diverse and important ecosystems on Earth, are experiencing unprecedented and increasing ecological decline, yet the fish faunas of such reefs and other tropical shoreline habitats remain poorly known in many areas. Rotenone, a natural substance traditionally used by subsistence fishers, is a uniquely efficient tool for sampling reef and other shore fishes for marine research. Unfortunately, such sampling...
NOAA-funded expeditions featured in new film, "Beneath the Blue"Largely unexplored deep-sea coral reefs, some perhaps hundreds of thousands of years old, off the coast of the southeastern U.S. are not only larger than expected but also home to commercially valuable fish populations and many newly discovered and unusual species. Results from a series of NOAA-funded expeditions to document these previously unstudied and diverse habitats and their associated marine life have revealed some...
Sometime soon after sunset on Sunday, billions of orange and pink blobs were expected rise to the surface along the island archipelago, which makes up part of the Republic of Palau. This island chain will once again become home to millions of coral colonies that will soon begin their annual mating process.The corals will mate in such large numbers that they will form oily slicks that are so massive they can sometimes be spotted from space.Just three or four days later, the surviving coral...
New model will be helpful in designing future marine reservesThe Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth have developed a new scientific model that accurately maps where coral reefs are in the most trouble and identifies regions where reefs can be protected best. The model, which is being applied in areas throughout the Indian Ocean, is described in a recent issue of the UK-based journal Ecological Modelling.The model...
An Atlantic storm that kicked up huge waves reaching as high 30 feet has caused the beaches of Barbados to become littered with pieces of broken coral. Â Some of the white coral had washed up in chunks as heavy as seven pounds, with their polyps rubbed away by the rough surf.Scientists reported Sunday that the amount of coral rubble on the island's coast may indicate damage to the region's coral reefs. Leo Brewster, director of Barbados' Coastal Zone Management Unit, is organizing dives...
Over two hundred million humans depend for their subsistence on the fact that coral has an addiction to "˜junk food' - and orders its partners, the symbiotic algae, to make it.This curious arrangement is one of nature's most delicate and complex partnerships "“ a collaboration now facing grave threats from climate change.The symbiosis between coral "“ a primitive animal "“ and zooxanthellae, tiny one-celled plants, is not only powerful enough to build the largest living organism on the...
Natural processes may prevent oceans from warming beyond a certain point, helping protect some coral reefs from the impacts of climate change, new research finds. The study, by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), finds evidence that an ocean "thermostat" appears to be helping to regulate sea-surface temperatures in a biologically diverse region of the western Pacific.The research will be published...
A NOAA-sponsored expedition is investigating shallow and deep coral ecosystems off the Caribbean island of Bonaire, part of the Netherland Antilles. Multiple underwater robots and divers are surveying arguably the most pristine coral reefs in the Caribbean to learn why they remain relatively healthy while many in the Caribbean and around the world are threatened. The mission is one of the first in the International Year of the Reef 2008."The International Year of the Reef is a year-long,...
Artificial reefs made of everything from oil rigs to subway cars to concrete rubble are sunk these days to the ocean floor to provide homes for marine life. But are they actually helpful? Although such reefs have at times done more harm than good, scientists explained artificial reefs are getting better and better. The deliberate creation of artificial reefs goes back to at least the 17th century in Japan, where fisherman built reefs with oyster shells to attract fish....
Latest Anthozoa Reference Libraries
Knotted Fan Coral, (Melithaea ochracea), is a species of colonial soft coral that is found in tree-like fans on shallow reefs in the South China Sea between Taiwan and Indonesia, including Singapore and Malaysia. In Taiwan, it is the most widespread coral in its family Gorgonacea. It is found on the higher parts of reef fronts where its numerous small polyps can feed at water flow rates varying from 1.6 to 16 inches per second. This species usually grow to about 8 inches in length, with...
Octopus Coral, (Galaxea fascicularis), also known as Fluorescence Grass Coral, Galaxy Coral. Star Coral, Crystal Coral, Brittle Coral and Starburst Coral, is a species of colonial stony coral commonly found on reef slopes in the Indian and Pacific ocean regions, as well as the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It is most commonly found where wave action is weak, usually at a depth of 79 inches to 49 feet below sea level. It is a common coral species among reef aquarium enthusiasts. This coral...
Chalice Corals, are a family of stony corals in the Pectiniidae family. Members of this family are mostly colonial but at least one species, Echinomorpha nishihirai, is solitary. These corals are endemic to the Indian and Pacific oceans. Pectiniids have a number of different forms but are basically streamlined and smooth. Polyps are large and brightly colored and resemble those of members of the Mussidae family of corals. The polyps are only extended at night. Tentacles are translucent,...
Siderastreidae is a family of colonial, reef building stony corals. Members of this family include symbiotic algae in their tissues which help provide their energy requirements. The World Register of Marine Species lists 7 genera within this family: Anomastraea, Coscinaraea, Craterastrea, Horastrea, Psammocora, Pseudosiderastrea, and Siderastrea. Corals in this family vary in form and include massive, thickly encrusting, columnar, and irregular forms. Corallites are linked by flowing...
Leaf Plate Montipora, (Montipora capricornis), also known as Vase Coral, Cap Coral, or simply Montipora, is a species of stony coral found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is also found in reefs in the Red Sea. It usually inhabits the top half of the reef where photosynthesis can occur. It branches out from the foundation into an area with adequate sunlight. This species forms flat, plating colonies. The colonies expand by adding to their foundations and further spreading out....
![\"Brain Coral\"](/media/gallery/national-science-foundation-gallery/thumbs/thumbs_pf2558_hondura_h.jpg "\\"Brain Coral\\"")
