[Coral-List] Coral spawning during all the year ?

[Michaël RARD]

Dear all,

To answer you Mark, and to ask question for all of you who work on coral
reproduction, for 10 years in Reunion Island, my laboratory has seen a coral
spawning in December in Reunion Island (South hemisphere, Indian Ocean).
Reunion Island has little fringing reefs, with 500 m broad for the biggest
reef.
Since 2 years, I have done more precise observations, and the result is
completely different.

To summarise, with observations at 2-4 days after the full moon, at night,
at the lowest tidal sea level, I have observed coral spawning during all the
year, excepted in April (because bad sea conditions, with waves and wind)
and in July (just 1 observation without spawning, and after was impossible
because the bad winter conditions with wind and waves in our small reefs).
In August, I'm waitting the full moon at August 12th.

What I have seen is a coral spawning in the beginning of warm season in the
reef, and essentially either probably on the external reef flat nor in the
external reef slope, with entry of "eggs" in the reef with the little
current.

To finish with, Acropora muricata (=A. formosa) is an important role in
coral spawning, but other corals have probably spawned because different
sizes and colours of "eggs" have been seen during these 2 years
observations.

Have anyone heard a coral spawning during full year ?

Many thanks for your comments and have a nice day.
Michaël
--
                          Michaël RARD
Laboratoire d'Ecologie Marine, Université de La Réunion
   97715 Saint Denis messag CEDEX 9, France
Tel : (262) 262-93-81-57, Fax : (262) 262-93-86-85
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/mika.dit.kl/html/ContactsMika.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Vermeij <Mark.Vermeij at noaa.gov>
To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 4:59 AM
Subject: [Coral-List] question


> Dear all,
>
> I wondered if anyone compiles the spawning data for this year?
>
> Regards,
> Mark
>
> ____________________________________________________________________
>
>
> Dr. M. Vermeij
> Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)
> Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS)at the
> University of Miami/
> NOAA Southeast Science Fisheries Center
> 75 Virginia Beach Dr
> Miami, FL 33149 U.S.A.
>
> mark.vermeij at noaa.gov
> tel +1 305 3614230
> tel +1 305 3614609
> fax +1 305 3614499