[Coral-List] Stockholm University and CORDIO: joint project on coral trait-diversity

[Albert Norstrom]

Hi Coral-List,

We are currently working on a project to i) describe trait diversity and 
ii) assess functional redundancy and response diversity in western 
Indian Ocean coral reef assemblages. To the best of our knowledge, 
empirical assessments of functional diversity on coral assemblages have 
been restricted to simple functional group classifications based on 
coral morphological traits and over small spatial scales. As a first 
step to fill this gap in knowledge we have begun creating a database of 
primary data on functional traits for coral species (worldwide). 
Hopefully, one outcome of this project is an open-access database that 
will result in readily accessible data pertaining to coral traits and a 
simple tool that enables the continuous addition of new information by 
all users.

We would be extremely grateful to receive your help in gathering data 
for the database. This could be data from peer-reviewed papers (which we 
have already begun searching), unpublished reports or theses, conference 
proceedings and unpublished data. Specifically we need species-specific 
information on:

i)                   growth rates

ii)                 growth strategies

iii)               larval competency periods

iv)               recruit survival rates (in-situ and ex-situ)

v)                 maximum size of adult colonies

vi)               tissue thickness

vii)             reproductive age

viii)           palatability

ix)               strength of attachment

x)                 temperature sensitivity (limits for loss of 
zooxanthellae as well as host tissue apoptosis/necrosis)

xi)               zooxanthellae clade preference

xii)             disease proneness

Any meta-data (such as site and date of data collection, or basic 
laboratory conditions) are also welcome. All data incorporated into the 
database will be credited appropriately.

Best regards,

Albert Norström^1 , Magnus Nyström^1 , Lisen Runsten^1 , David Obura^2

^1 Dept Systems Ecology, Natural Resource Management Group, Stockholm 
University

^2 CORDIO East Africa and IUCN working group on Climate Change and Coral 
Reefs

-- 
Albert Norström
PhD Student
Natural Resource Management Group
Dept. Systems Ecology
Stockholm University

Kräftriket 9A
104 05 Stockholm
Sweden 

Tel: +46 (0)73-707 88 78
Email: albert at ecology.su.se