PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #12: Aquatic Ecology: Marine.
Presiding: R. Lewison
Monday, August 5. 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Mesquite Room, Radisson.

Effects of temperature on sexual reproduction of the reef coral Merulina ampliata: A mesocosm study.

FAN, TUNG-YUNG^*,1, FANG, LEE-SHING^1,2, ¹ National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan² Institute of Marine Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

ABSTRACT- The effect of temperature change (increase or decrease of 2 to 4^oC) on the timing of reproductive activities of the reef coral Merulina ampliata was studied by a mesocosm system from March to December 2001. Ten to 15 large colonies were maintained in each of the four 5000L mesocosms kept at 23, 25, 27, and 29^oC. Spawning of corals kept in 27^oC occurred at the same time as that of the field population in September. Corals kept in 25 and 29^oC spawned both in September and October, while corals in 23^oC spawned in October and November. It suggests that elevated temperature may not facilitate sexual reproduction, but lowered temperature postponed the timing of reproduction. The completion of reproductive cycles of the spawning coral in the mesocosms indicates that the function of these artificial ecosystems is similar to that of natural ecosystems.

KEY WORDS: Temperature, Sexual reproduction, Reef coral, Mesocosm