[Coral-List] coral spawning predictions Curacao 2010/ updated Coral ID pages

[Mark J A Vermeij]

Dear All

For those interested in the coral spawning this year, I have posted the expected dates and times based on last year's observations on the Carmabi website. The schedule can be found at: http://www.researchstationcarmabi.org/ and then click on "coral spawning dates 2010" which you'll find on the left under "latest news". 

There have also been some updates on the coral ID pages. Carmabi compiled a series  of pictures that show combinations of corals that are often mistaken  for one another. Because terminology to describe each species is often  subjective (i.e. has larger polyps or smaller ridges) having both  species in one picture might help to get a better idea of how such  closely related/ similar looking "species" can be distinguished from one  another.Corals are now divided in four main groups (Montastraea, Agaricidae, Brain-looking corals and the Rest). All  identifications are based on commonly used species names here on  Curacao. This overview is a work in progress (and I welcome suggestions on how to shape this picture collection into a more user-friendly format), but I thought it would be  useful to throw it out as it is. 

The four aforementioned coral  groups can also be found at Carmabi's research website:  http://www.researchstationcarmabi.org/ 

Click on "Publications" and a  drop-down menu will appear with all the coral combinations for all four  coral groups. 

The following links take you directly to each  group:
For Montastraea:  http://www.researchstationcarmabi.org/publications/coral-id-curacao-montastraea
For Agaricidae:  http://www.researchstationcarmabi.org/publications/coral-id-curacao-agaricidae
For  "Brain"corals:  http://www.researchstationcarmabi.org/publications/coral-id-curacao-braincorals
For  "The Rest":  http://www.researchstationcarmabi.org/publications/coral-id-curacao-the-rest

Hopefully  you'll find this overview and the spawning schedule useful.

Best regards

Mark

__________________________________
Dr. M.J.A. Vermeij
Science Director
Carmabi Foundation
Piscaderabaai z/n
Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
Phone: +5999-5103067
Email: m.vermeij at carmabi.org
Skype: markvermeij
Web:http://www.researchstationcarmabi.org/

Department of Botany
University of Hawaii at Manoa
email: vermeij at hawaii.edu
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/

Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics  IBED 
University of Amsterdam
Nieuwe Achtergracht 127
1018 WS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Web: http://www.science.uva.nl/ibed/home.cfm