[Coral-List] Coral spawning in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico

[Hernandez Edwin]

Dear coral-listers:

An unprecedented record of coral spawning was
documented at during the late afternoon of August 11
and the early afternoon of August 13 at Carlos Rosario
Beach, within the Luis Pena Channel No-Take Natural
Reserve, Culebra Island, Puerto Rico.

Gamete bundles were released by several isolated
colonies of Montastraea annularis at approximately
18:30 on August 11, 2004, and similarly at
approximately 14:30 during August 13, 2004.

This has been the first time that we have documented
coral spawning on this species outside its typical
synchronized events during late evenings (approx.
20:00 hr) and approximately at 7-8 evenings after full
moon in August or September. Our observations occurred
during new moon phase, under sunny conditions and
under calmer oceanographic conditions.

We are expecting the mass spawning event in Puerto
Rico will occur approximately during the Labor Day
weekend (Sept. 4-6, 2004). But such an asynchronous
gamete release by M. annularis during daylight is
unprescedented for us in Culebra Island.

I'd like to hear if somebody else has ever documented
mass spawning in this or other mass spawner coral
species during daylight time in the Caribbean.

Finally, I'll appreciate any estimates regarding
predicted day/times for Acropora cervicornis spawning
in this region of the Caribbean.

Regards,

Edwin A. Hernandez, Ph.D.
University of Puerto Rico
Department of Biology
Coral Reef Monitoring, Restorarion and Management
Project
PO Box 23360
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3360

Tel. 787-764-0000, x-4855
Fax 787-764-2610
e-mail: coral_giac at yahoo.com


		
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