[Coral-List] Coral Feeding Study

[Alex Wyatt]

Dear Coral-listers,

 

Given the recent discussion regarding coral feeding I thought some may be
interested in an upcoming project which aims to explore some of the issues
raised regarding nutrition sources for corals.  

 

Broadly our study aims to investigate nutrition sources for Ningaloo Reef, a
fringing reef system of key ecological importance off the west coast of
Australia, particularly by comparing the role of oceanic nutrient sources,
and therefore requiring ocean filtration, as opposed to internal reef
sources.  The study will be based on field investigations of stable isotope
ratios and fatty acid composition of key functional groups across a range of
trophic levels.  Field studies will be complimented by laboratory
experiments examining nutrient uptake and assimilation by corals under
controlled environmental conditions supplied with various heterotrophic food
sources. The results of these experiments will be essential for validating
stable isotope data derived in situ on Ningaloo Reef, but will also provide
stand-alone results pertaining to the trophic behaviour of the
coral-zooxanthellae holobiont under changing environmental conditions,
including those leading to bleaching (sensu Grottoli et al.).

 

Further preliminary information is available at:
http://www.perfectenglish.com.au/Wyatt
<http://www.perfectenglish.com.au/Wyatt%20et%20al_Reef-Ocean%20Coupling.pdf>
et al_Reef-Ocean Coupling.pdf. Any comments or suggestions would be most
appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Alex Wyatt

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alex S.J. Wyatt

PhD Candidate

 

School of Environmental Systems Engineering

Mail Drop M015

The University of Western Australia

35 Stirling Highway

CRAWLEY WA 6009
AUSTRALIA


Email: awyatt at graduate.uwa.edu.au

Mob: +61 (0) 409 089 301