[Coral-List] New global coral reproduction review available

[Peter Harrison]

Colleagues,

the following global coral reproduction review chapter has recently 
been published in Dubinsky and Stambler's book:

Harrison, P.L. (2011). Sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals. 
In: Z. Dubinsky and N. Stambler (Editors), Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem 
in Transition Part 3, 59-85,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-0114-4_6 Springer Publishers.

This new review presents a synthesis of current global knowledge of 
coral reproduction and updates aspects of the earlier major review by 
Harrison, P.L. and Wallace, C.C. (1990), with particular emphasis on 
new data and molecular perspectives that have emerged during the past 
two decades.

Some key points that may be of interest:
Information on sexual reproduction is now available for 444 
scleractinian coral species (almost double the number of species 
compared with the 230 species whose reproductive characteristics had 
been studied by the late 1980s).

The global data confirm many of the trends noted previously: the 
great majority of species that have been studied are hermaphroditic 
broadcast spawers (64.5%) with fewer gonochoric spawners (19.5%) and 
relatively few hermaphroditic brooders or gonochoric brooders 
recorded. However, there are a number of species for which mixed 
sexual patterns/sex change and/or both brooding and spawning modes of 
development have been recorded hence these sexual patterns and modes 
of development are not simple binary characteristics for all 
scleractinian corals.

Biogeographical patterns are even more complex:  multispecific 
spawning has been recorded in many reef regions, but the scale of 
spawning and degree of reproductive synchrony within and among 
populations of different species forms a continuum from largely 
asynchronous patterns through to highly synchronised mass spawning 
events.

If you want to know more please contact me,

cheers, Peter


-- 
Professor Peter Harrison, PhD
Director of Marine Studies SCU
Director, Marine Ecology Research Centre
Research Leader, Coral Reef and Whale Research Teams
Marine Science and Management Course Coordinator
School of Environmental Science and Management
Southern Cross University, PO Box 157
Lismore NSW 2480   AUSTRALIA
Patron, Banyan Tree Marine Labs, Maldives
SCU Phone: 0266 203774    Fax: 0266 212669
Mobile: 0407456249
E-mail: peter.harrison at scu.edu.au
International Phone: 61 266 203774   International Fax: 61 266 212669