[Coral-List] Flower Garden Banks NMS mass coral spawning report, September 2007

[Emma.Hickerson at noaa.gov]

A research cruise sponsored by the Flower Garden Banks National Marine 
Sanctuary was conducted to document the predicted mass spawning event 
on the coral caps at the East and West Flower Garden Banks, September 
3-7, 2007.  These coral reefs are located 100 miles directly south of 
the Texas/Louisiana border in the Gulf of Mexico.  The mass coral 
spawning event occurred as predicted for the most part, although not 
as heavy a spawn as seen in previous years, and some species 
observation were a little off typical predictions, e.g. Colpophyllia 
natans spawned on both the 9th night after the full moon, as well as 
on the predicted 10th night after the full moon.  Other spawning 
predictions for brittle stars, christmas tree worms and sponges were 
not observed in numbers as expected.   The predictions were made based 
on a full moon on August 28, 2007 at 1035 GMT.

The following observations were made:

Water temperature at observation depth :  86F
Salinity at observation depth:  35.5PPT
Depth of observations:  approximately 75' to 80'

September 3, 2007
7th night after the full moon
2115 Montastraea faveolata 1 colony
2120 to 2135 Diploria strigosa 2 colonies
2120 to 2130 Montastraea cavernosa male 2 colonies
2135 Montastraea cavernosa female 1 colony
2115 to 2135 Montastraea franksi 13 colonies

September 4, 2007
8th night after the full moon
2000 gametes on surface
2115 to 2210 Montastraea franksi 73 colonies
2118 to 2128 Montastraea cavernosa male 2 colonies
2115 to 2220 Diploria strigosa 58 colonies
2210 to 2045 Stephanocoenia intersepta male 12 colonies
2210 to 2045 Stephanocoenia intersepta female 3 colonies
2252 to 2310 Montastraea faveolata 7 colonies
2333 Montastraea annularis 1 colony

Other species 
2209 Spirobranchus giganticus christmas tree worms male 4 individuals
2209 Spirobranchus giganticus christmas tree worms female 1 individual

September 5, 2007
9th night after the full moon
2020 to 2130 Montastraea cavernosa male 23 colonies
2045 to 2132 Montastraea cavernosa female 9 colonies
2020 to 2200 Diploria strigosa 57 colonies
2120 to 2200 Montastraea franksi 16 colonies
2020 to 2115 Colpophyllia natans 7 colonies
2201 to 2240 Stephanocoenia intersepta male 19 colonies
2215 to 2240 Stephanocoenia intersepta female 16 colonies

Other species:
2020 to 2100 Ophioderma squamosissimum female 2 brittlestars

September 6, 2007
10th night after the full moon 
2026 to 2105 Colpophylla natans 23 colonies

Other species:
2015 to 2105 Ophioderma squamosissimum male 6 brittlestars
2020 to 2100 Ophioderma squamosissimum female 6 brittlestars

Observations by:

Emma Hickerson 
Flower Garden Banks NMS

Dr. Peter Vize
Dan Hilton
Sarah Davies
University of Calgary

Dr. Craig Burnside
Bainbridge College

Dr. Misha Matz
University of Texas

Martha Robbart
PBS&J

Kelly Drinnen
FGBNMS

Emma Hickerson
Research Coordinator
Flower Garden Banks NMS
4700 Ave. U, Bldg. 216
Galveston, TX 77551
409-621-5151 ext. 111
URL:  flowergarden.noaa.gov