Two Difficult Questions

[Mike Matz]

Hi again,
Many thanks to everybody who answered my first question
about zooxantellae species!
I apologize for troubling the community with questions twice
a day. The reason is - I am preparing a grant proposal about
corals while being a molecular biologist by expertise.
That's tough.

I expect the following questions might be difficult.

1. What is the average generation time of corals on stable
reef?..
Guess I need to be a little bit more specific, so, for
example:
    What is the average generation time of corals on a
stable barrier reef slope? Reef top? Reef flat?

2. What are the relative roles of sexual (spawning) and
asexual (colony budding, polyp expulsion and such like)
reproduction in maintaining the coral community structure on
stable reef? (barrier reef slope? Reef top? Reef flat?)

By "stable reef" I mean that the period of its existence as
a community exceeds the average generation time of corals.

Please send me the references if these questions are
answered!

thanks in advance

Mike
--
Mikhail V. Matz, Ph.D.

Whitney Laboratory
University of Florida
9505 Ocean Shore blvd
St Augustine FL 32080-8610, USA
phone +1 904 461 4044
fax +1 801 849 5388
 

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