spawning summary in Florida keys

Rob Carter rcarter at rsmas.miami.edu
Mon Sep 20 12:57:11 EDT 1999


FYI. More coral spawning. This is a summary of two months of spawning
observations in the Florida Keys

Tuesday Aug 3, 1999, Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary
	Several (3 out of approx. 10 observed) Montastraea faveolata colonies
spawned between 11:30 and 11:40 pm
	No Montastraea annularis (~ 5 colonies within our observation area)
observed spawning between 11:00 and 12:00 pm
	Sorry for the quality of the following observation, but I thought it might
be of some use: On our way out to the dive site, we passed a coral gamete
slick (detected by smell, not sight) just off the northern end of the reef.
Upon arriving on location, the passengers on a large dive boat informed us
that the "star corals" were spawning. Being that Montastraea faveolata
spawned later, I assume (?) that the early spawners were M. franksi.

Wednesday, Aug 4, 1999, Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary
	No spawning observed between 10:15 and 11:30 pm

*   *   * 

Wednesday, Sep 1, 1999, Crocker Reef
	one Montastraea franksi colony spawned at 10:30 pm
	two Eusmilia fastigiata colonies released (separate) eggs and sperm about
10:45 pm

Thursday, Sep 2, 1999, Crocker Reef
	three M. franksi colonies seen spawning between 10:30 and 10:45 pm
	one Diploria strigosa colony spawned at approx. 11:15 (observed by another
member of my party)

Friday, Sep 3, 1999, Crocker Reef
	One M. faveolata colony spawned at 11:20 pm

Note: there were no M. annularis at our site on Crocker Reef, 45 - 55 feet
depth.

*  *  *

Did anyone look for Acropora palmata spawning?



- Rob Carter


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Robert W. Carter                                          Rob Carter
University of Miami/RSMAS/MBF               1700 SW 1 Ave #601
4600 Rickenbacker Cswy                          Miami FL 33129
Miami FL 33149

305.361.4642 (w)                                        305.856.2715 (h)
305.361.4600 (fax)

rcarter at rsmas.miami.edu
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