[Coral-List] physiological indicator

[Christopher Paul Jury]

To me this reminds us of why baseline data and context are so critical in 
understanding physiological properties. A coral growing in a few meters of 
water may have a particular chl a concentration per square cm. The same 
species on the same reef may have twice that density if it is growing 20 m 
deeper on the reef. Doing work with this species requires one to understand 
the context in which the coral is growing. Comparing absolute chlorophyll 
density between these two colonies isn't necessarily valuabe, depending on 
the question being asked, but comparing changes in % of chl. density very 
well may be. Valuable comparisons coral-to-coral and reef-to-reef can be 
made when one addresses relative changes, e.g. two corals experience a 90% 
reduction in zoox. density, so are relatively bleached to a similar degree 
(even though the actual zoox. density in each might be drastically 
different). 

At least that is my take on the points you've brought up. 

Best regards, 

Chris Jury 

shashank Keshavmurthy writes: 

> Dear Listers
> I have a question......it may sound stupid..but i
> need to know.. 
> 
> Is there any common single parameter that can be
> used as indicator of physiological change across
> all coral species..say from healthy to
> bleached..... 
> 
> If not is there any combination of parameters... 
> 
> I ask this becasue , I am having trouble in
> coming to terms with say zooxanthellae
> abundance.....of course there is change in
> zooxanthellae abundance from healthy to bleached
> coral..but it is not in the same range in all
> corals...to my disappointment..even in the same
> species..... 
> 
> so if two people cunduct stress experiments in
> two different corner of the earth..there is no
> chance that we can say about the physiological
> changes in the corals by looking at the
> zooxanthellae abundance since healthy
> zooxanthellae number for my coral sample may be
> stressed zooxanthellae number for the other
> persons coral sample.... 
> 
> this does not stop only with zooxanthellae
> abundance, say chlorophyll or HSPs or any other
> parameter for that matter... 
> 
> hmm....how do i know about the physiological
> condition of a coral sample..if there is so much
> variation...and not even a single parameter holds
> good to analyse the physiology? 
> 
> I think these basic problems in coral research
> gives us researchers and policy makers and
> everyone involved in coral research leverage to
> make each of our own point or thoughts hold
> good....... 
> 
> with warm regards
> shashank 
> 
> "the role of infinitely small in nature is infinitely large"-Louis Pasteur                 
> 
> Keshavmurthy Shashank
> phD candidate
> Kochi University, Graduate School of Kuroshio Science
> Laboratory of Environmental Conservation
> Otsu 200, Monobe, Nankoku-shi
> 783-8502, Kochi, Japan
> alt. id: shashank at cc.kochi-u.ac.jp
> phone: 81 090 8285 9012 
> 
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