[Coral-List] Mass coral spawning report from Flower Garden Banks, NW Gulf of Mexico

[Emma Hickerson]

The following are coral spawning observations made by researchers at the 
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, located approximately 100 
miles south of the Texas/Louisiana border in the Gulf of Mexico.  The 
mass coral spawning event was predicted to occur 7 to 10 days after the 
August full moon, which fell at 2116 UTC on August 16, 2008, thus, the 
first night after the full moon was August 16, according to our 
prediction.  It was also predicted that the greatest amount of spawning 
activity would occur on the eighth night after the full moon, August 
23rd, 2008.  Time in report is local time, CDT. Observations were made 
by G.P. Schmahl, Emma Hickerson, Jennifer DeBose, Tracy Hamburger and 
Marissa Nuttall, from the Flower Garden Banks NMS office, Peter Vize and 
Sarah Davies from the University of Calgary, and Jay Reichman from EPA. 
Water temperature was around 2 C cooler than same time last year,  27.4 
to 28.2 C at 20m, 28.6 to 29.1C on surface.  No freshwater evident in 
salinity profiling.

August 21, 2008
6 nights after full moon
2223 Montastraea cavernosa male (1)
2252 Montastraea cavernosa female (1)

August 22, 2008
7 nights after full moon
2100 Montastraea cavernosa male (1)
2130 - 22:00 Montastraea franksi (1+)

August 23, 2008
8 nights after full moon
2007-2133> Montastraea cavernosa male (32)
2035-2133 Montastraea cavernosa female (6)
2111-2200 Diploria strigosa (35)
2117-2220> Montastraea franksi (58)
2215 Montastraea faveolata (1)

August 24, 2008
9 nights after full moon
2215-2300 Montastraea franksi (10)
Ruby brittle stars, Ophioderma rubicundum males were observed spawning.



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Emma L. Hickerson
Research Coordinator
emma.hickerson at noaa.gov

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
4700 Avenue U, Bldg. 216
Galveston, TX  77551

Phone:  409-621-5151
cell:  979-777-3895
fax: 409-621-1316

flowergarden.noaa.gov
sanctuaries.noaa.gov





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