Coral Spawning and Bleaching

[Gittings, S.]

On September 16, eight evenings after the September 8 full moon, the corals of 
the East Flower Garden Bank (northwest Gulf of Mexico) spawned in mass.  The 
timing and species involved were similar to some previous years.  This was 
after August spawning reported over seven evenings between August 16 and 22. 

Unfortunately, we were not able to make observations on Sept. 15 or 17.  
Diploria strigosa brain corals began spawning at about 8:00 p.m. (CDT) on the 
16th and continued until around 10:00 p.m.  Sperm release from male Montastrea 
cavernosa colonies was observed between 9:00 and 10:30.  No egg release by 
females was reported.  Montastrea annularis (most descriptions indicated M. 
faveolata form was the predominant participant) star corals spawned between 
9:40 and 10:15.   

A dense spawn slick was evident from 8:00 to 8:30, then again from 9:15 to 
10:35, and a final small, but dense slick passed the ship at 11:05.  There was 
a lull in activity on the bottom between 8:30 and 9:15.  The decrease in the 
slick density occurred at nearly the same time. 

Also observed spawning at 10:30 was a male Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus 
giganteus; no egg release by females was witnessed in September), and the 
sponge Ectyoplasia ferox (observations at 3:30 and 10:30).  

Associated observations: Ruby brittle stars (Ophioderma rubicundum) were 
active, but unlike previous years, no spawning was witnessed.  Brittle stars 
were on the tops of corals.  Some collected gamete bundles and scurried for 
cover, as usual, when hit by video or dive lights.  A manta ray was seen by 
two divers around 9:15, but no mention was made of it feeding on gamete 
bundles.   

The water was unusually green over the banks during the week before, and 
during, the spawning.  Visibility was less than 70 feet, and currents on the 
bottom just under a knot.  Blue water usually surrounds the Flower Gardens and 
visibility is typically over 100 feet.  A swarm of 100s of moon jellys 
(Aurelia aurita) passed over the site at 9:15, also an unusual sighting, one 
probably associated with the atypical water mass.  Seas during the spawing 
were less than two feet and winds were from the south at less than 5 knots.  A 
1 knot bottom currents was heading east and the surface current was nearly 
slack, but heading northeast. 

Things to consider:  There is still a lot to learn before we can accurately 
predict the expected timing and extent of spawning on various reefs and for 
different species.  Could it be that the relatively early August full moon 
"confused" the corals into spawning erratically over seven nights, even though 
the majority happened on the 8th evening after the full moon?  The early Sept. 
full moon was followed eight evenings later by a dramatic mass spawning.  In 
1990, a dramatic "main event" was witnessed on August 13, three nights before 
this years first observations, so there is obviously more to the picture than 
the date.  Next year there is a very late July full moon and a late August 
full moon (similar to 1993 when the main event was seen on Sept. 8, after the 
August 31 full moon).  Based on observations at the Flower Gardens since 1990, 
I am betting on the September spawning date.  If no unusual environmental 
events intervene, it also seems likely that the event will be quite focused 
and perhaps more intense than this year's activity. 

Bleaching  

Water temperature was 30.0#161#C on September 16th, and considerable bleaching 
was in progress for three species (Millepora alcicornis, Montastrea cavernosa, 
and Stephanocoenia michelini, while a number of other species appeared to be 
much paler than normal).  This high a temperature this late in the year is 
unusual for the Flower Gardens and is very similar to patterns of 1990, the 
last bleaching year at the site.  Even so, my visual estimate is that extreme 
bleaching is affecting less than 10% of the coral cover (coral cover is about 
50%).  This may, however, exceed 1990 levels, so it bears watching.  Corals 
are being monitored at 80 repetitive photographic stations, each eight square 
meters in size.