Coral reef rehabilitation (fwd)

[Coral Health and Monitoring Program]

Forwarded message...please respond to list or to A. Baird:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 09:30:31
From: Andrew Baird <andrew.baird at jcu.edu.au>
To: Coral Health and Monitoring Program <coral at aoml.noaa.gov>
Subject: Re: Coral reef rehabilitation

Dear Wilson

regarding the central hypothesis of your work, ie that coral larval
vitality is improved by the presence of clams by increased availability of
zoox in the water column..

It is generally accepted that non-zooxznthellate coral larvae do not pick
up zoox. until after settlement. There is only one non-zooxznthellate
species, Fungia scutaria,  which has been demonstrated to collect larvae
while in the plankton ( Krupp 1983 Coral Reefs 2:159-164), though this is
an obvious area for future research. Nonetheless, the increased
availability of zoox may increase the survivorship of coral recruits. Again
this might be an interesting area for you to examine..

>Forwarded message:
>
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>From: reefprj at tm.net.my
>Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 17:00:22 -0800
>Organization: THE REEF PROJECT
>Subject: Coral reef rehabilitation
>
>Hello everyone,
>
>My name is Wilson Alex and I am currently doing my research degree here in
>Malaysia.  My research encompassing coral reef rehabilitation that focus
>on the zooxanthellae that live in corals and the giant clams.  Many
>(researcher) believed that the presence of giant clam in reef area
>enhanced the vitality of coral larvae.  These, I suppose is true as giant
>clam is a "true farmers" of the symbiotic algae and release excess of it
>to the water surrounding.  Maruyama (1997) studied the number of
>zooxanthellae in the feces of giant clam which he assessed contained free
>living zooxanthellae.
>
>The source of the zooxanthellae in the water surrounding may as well comes
>from other cnidarians.  But I believe that this is true on pristine reef
>condition.  How about degraded reef area where all supply of zooxanthellae
>to the water column is cut off if you will.  So, by stocking this bivalves
>in the reef area, the clam may supply these algae to that area...and who
>knows, that event may bring back coral population to the degraded reef; a
>new vistas in coral reef rehabilitation. Is anybody out there been doing
>this research or similar to it?
>
>I received "green light" from the University Malaysia Sabah to do this
>research.  I am now attached to "The Reef Project" a center for coral reef
>and giant clam rehabilitation in Sabah Malaysia.  I welcome any
>comment...Thank you
>
>
>
Andrew Baird		work:	61 77 814802
Dept. Marine Biology		home:	61 77 712379
James Cook University	fax: 	61 77 251570
Townsville Q. 4811		email:	andrew.baird at jcu.edu.au
Australia