[Coral-List] Coralimorph problem in Palmyra

Bill Allison allison.billiam at gmail.com
Mon Apr 12 15:28:35 EDT 2010


Re: Charles comment: I have witnessed COT in numbers at work on reefs
dominated by Rhodactis in Maldives, Culcita eating them in Maldives and
Zanzibar, and hawksbill turtles and several chaetodontids eating them in
Maldives.

Re. Julian comment: Reefs with abundant Culcita have recovered very well
post-bleaching with Acropora and Pocillopora dominating. Culcita eat algae,
sponge, ascidians etc, as well as corals.

On Mon, Apr 12, 2010 at 11:57 AM, Delbeek, Charles
<CDelbeek at calacademy.org>wrote:

> This probably is not a good solution, but crown-of-thorns will eat
> corallimorphs in aquaria. A comment from Julian Sprung: "It is also possible
> that introducing predatory seastars may also take out new coral recruits"..
>
> J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc.
> Senior Aquatic Biologist, Steinhart Aquarium
> California Academy of Sciences
> 55 Music Concourse Dr.
> San Francisco CA 94118
>
> phone (415) 379-5303
> fax (415) 379-5304
> cdelbeek at calacademy.org
> www.calacademy.org
>
> Extreme mammals take over the Academy April 3 - September 12
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov [mailto:
> coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Will Nuckols
> Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 8:50 AM
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coralimorph problem in Palmyra
>
> So I assume from Jim Maragos's perspective, and accordingly the perspective
> of the USFWS, the logical first step is to remove the metal materials from
> the reef to limit further spread and possibly reduce the viability of the
> existing Coralimorph colony - Jim can you confirm that this is the current
> strategy if a mitigation strategy is to be put into action?
>
> Will Nuckols
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Delbeek,
> Charles
> Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 3:37 PM
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coralimorph problem in Palmyra
>
> Corallimorphs in aquaria tend to do well in water with elevated organics
> and
> phosphate in the water. It could be that these disturbances to the reef may
> have liberated or exposed reef structure that has resulted in the
> liberation
> of bound phosphate or increased its exposure to bacterial action. Another
> possibility may be that interstitial waters (usually high on P and N) in
> the
> reef rockwork were released and now are freely flowing into the nearby
> waters? Sort of like uncorking a bottle.
>
> Just some random speculations! :-)
>
> J. Charles Delbeek, M.Sc.
> Senior Aquatic Biologist, Steinhart Aquarium
> California Academy of Sciences
> 55 Music Concourse Dr.
> San Francisco CA 94118
>
> phone (415) 379-5303
> fax (415) 379-5304
> cdelbeek at calacademy.org
> www.calacademy.org
>
> Extreme mammals take over the Academy April 3 - September 12
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Albert
> Norstrom
> Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 6:16 AM
> To: Forest Rohwer
> Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coralimorph problem in Palmyra
>
> Hi Forest and all others,
>
> We're currently undergoing experiments on Zanzibar to discern the
> potential drivers (N,P,Fe exposure or loss of top-down control) of
> corallimorph expansions. One interesting, and unexpected, observation by
> my master student (who's on site) is that corallimorphs in experimental
> plots on the reef were predated by a species of seastar. Communication
> with her is sporadic and so I haven't received photos or any detailed
> identification of the critters responsible, but I could do so as soon as
> I receive more info.
>
> Corallimorpharian dominated reefs were one of the persistent alternative
> states we identified in a MEPS review from last year
> (http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps_oa/m376p295.pdf).
>
> Best regards,
> Albert
>
> Forest Rohwer wrote:
> > The reef around a wreck of the longliner on Palmyra is doing really
> poorly.
> > A coralimorph (Rhodactis) has completely taken over the area.  The
> colonies
> > cover over 80% of the benthos, independently of what was underneath.  The
> > concerning part is that it is spreading rapidly across the shallow
> western
> > terrace of the island.  The spread is really quick and it is starting to
> > invade some of the most beautiful and intact reefs left on the island.
> >
> > Jim Maragos has an article on this:
> >
> http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002989
> >
> > Ideas about how to kill the coralimorph would be greatly appreciated.
> >
> > Forest Rohwer
> > _______________________________________________
> > Coral-List mailing list
> > Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> > http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Albert Norström, PhD
> Stockholm Resilience Centre & Albaeco
> Stockholm University
>
> Kräftriket 2A
> 104 05 Stockholm
> Sweden
>
> Tel: +46 (0)79 54 63 74
> Email: albert at ecology.su.se
> Sustainable development update blog: www.sdupdate.org
>
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-- 
Reality, as usual, beats fiction out of sight.
Conrad, 1915
You had better believe it.
Stein, 1893



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