[Coral-List] Fwd: exotic or invasive? introduction of Caribbean acroporiids to the pacific

Thu Dec 20 00:39:28 UTC 2018

Trust of interest:

"To Help Corals Fight Back, Scientists Are Breeding Populations Separated
by Hundreds of Miles.

A new study demonstrates that assisted reproduction using cryopreserved
sperm leads to offspring that might be more resilient in the face of
climate change."

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/to-help-corals-fight-back-scientists-breed-populations-separated-hundreds-miles-180971064/#GXqOEmCtXMqJWcTk.99

Cheers,

Vassil

Vassil Zlatarski
D.Sc. (Biology), Ph.D. (Geology)

On Tue, Dec 18, 2018 at 3:41 PM Douglas Fenner via Coral-List <
coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:

>      Although the Eastern Pacific currently has no *Acropora*, the
> Indo-Pacific has at least 165 species, compared to the Caribbean's 2
> species and one hybrid.  The Caribbean and Eastern Pacific have been
> completely separated since the Panama land bridge arose, I think that was
> about 2.5 million years ago.  All of the zooxanthellate coral species
> currently living in the Eastern Pacific naturally are from the
> Indo-Pacific, none are from the Caribbean, except a half dozen or so
> colonies of *Siderastrea siderea* that were introduced into Pacific Panama
> as pieces of skeleton for experiments, and weren't expected to survive and
> grow . They are now in aquaria, I believe.  The Caribbean and Indo-Pacific
> also share no natural zooxanthellate coral species (a few mushroom
> corals (*Fungia
> scutaria*) were taken from the Indo-Pacific to the Discovery Bay, Jamaica,
> lab and kept in aquaria.  At some point, unnamed person(s) placed some of
> those on the reef there, and decades later they were found and recovered,
> they appeared not to have reproduced.)
>        Moving species between oceans is not advisable, it is introducing
> species which may become invasive, like the Indo-Pacific lionfish that were
> introduced into Florida waters and which have spread throughout the
> tropical western Atlantic and are having huge negative effects on the
> ecosystems there.  For corals, my initial thought is that the greater risk
> is introducing coral diseases from one ocean into another.  The tropical
> western Atlantic including Florida and the Caribbean has had and continues
> to have, huge damage to coral populations from diseases.  The coral
> diseases in the western tropical Atlantic appear to be different from those
> in the Indo-Pacific.  Introducing any corals from the Caribbean into the
> eastern Pacific carries the risk of introducing lethal diseases into the
> Indo-Pacific that could cause untold damage to corals there.  White band
> disease, last I knew, was the primary cause for the huge decline of the two
> *Acropora* species in the tropical western Atlantic.  Although there is
> white disease in *Acropora* in the Indo-Pacific, that probably is not the
> same disease as white band in the Caribbean, and *Acropora* in the
> Indo-Pacific have not been damaged by disease anything like the *Acropora*
> in the western tropical Atlantic.  Please DO NOT move any corals from one
> ocean to the other, in either direction, nor any other organisms.  We have
> enough trouble with introduced invasive species as it is.  That certainly
> includes anyone releasing any corals from an aquarium into an ocean that
> they didn't come from.  Don't even move them more than a matter of meters
> within an ocean, certainly not from one island or reef to the next without
> a lot of very careful and extensive consideration (as Vassil suggested) by
> all stakeholders and government approval.  Predators (such as snails),
> parasites, commensals, and certainly other parts of the holobiont can all
> easily be transported that way and any could become invasive and cause
> havoc.  It is nearly 100% certain that if you move a coral, all parts of
> the holobiont will come with the coral host, so many kinds of bacteria,
> viruses, etc.  Once they have been introduced, it is at present near
> impossible to get rid of them (see "lionfish").  When in doubt, error on
> the precautionary side and don't move anything more than a few meters,
> including "live rock".  "Live rock" is honeycombed with holes full of a
> wide variety of organisms, not to mention that virtually any surfaces in
> ocean water are covered with microbial films.  Don't even move water
> between oceans, ocean water is full of microbes like bacteria and viruses,
> in addition to various plankton.  Mind you, ships do this on a daily basis
> with large volumes of sea water as they take in ballast water one place and
> release it another place.  Ships have moved and introduced species many
> times and caused a myriad of problems with introduced species.
>        As much as the Caribbean and Florida Acropora have declined, there
> are still millions of colonies alive.  They are not in danger of immediate
> extinction.  Efforts to stop their decline and hopefully help their
> recovery can be and are being carried out in the Caribbean and Florida
> without moving any into the Pacific.
>        Sorry to be a wet towel, but this is important.  Absolutely no
> offense intended, all suggestions were just innocent suggestions.
>  Cheers, Doug
>
> On Tue, Dec 18, 2018 at 5:41 AM Vassil Zlatarski via Coral-List <
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
>
> > Indeed, very interesting.  Nevertheless, any action requires very serious
> > scientific preparation and professional responsibility.
> >
> > A joyful Holiday Season!
> >
> > Vassil
> >
> > Vassil Zlatarski
> > D.Sc (Biology), Ph.D. (Geology)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> > From: Bill Raymond via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> > Date: Mon, Dec 17, 2018 at 7:35 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] exotic or invasive? introduction of Caribbean
> > acroporiids to the pacific
> > To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>, Damien Beri <beridl at g.cofc.edu>
> >
> >
> >  Very interesting! I hope you get some answers, and I hope you get the
> > chance to find out for yourself. Bravo.
> >     On Monday, December 17, 2018, 4:17:10 PM EST, Damien Beri via
> > Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
> >
> >  Hello coral listers,
> >
> > I have a question on what might happen if one was to introduce Caribbean
> > Elkhorn and Staghorn coral back into the Pacific?
> >
> > It is my understanding an ancestor of the two produced pelagic larvae,
> > containing zooxanthellae and stored nutrients to make a rare oceanic
> > crossing. A majority of Caribbean corals reproduce this way I believe.
> >
> >
> > I ask this hypothetical question on the basis of curiosity, and
> extinction
> > prevention. Re-introduction of species will probably be a more suitable
> > topic 50 years down the road.
> >
> > Warm regards,
> > Damien Beri
> >
> > -Masters In Marine Conservation and Policy
> > Stony Brook University
> >
> > -Regulatory Compliance Intern
> > Billion Oyster Project
> >
> > -Founder
> > Reefined Arts Coral Restoration
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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>
>
> --
> Douglas Fenner
> Ocean Associates, Inc. Contractor
> NOAA Fisheries Service
> Pacific Islands Regional Office
> Honolulu
> and:
> Consultant
> PO Box 7390
> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799  USA
>
> Global warming will happen faster than we think.
>
> https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07586-5
>
> Nations falling short of emissions cuts set by Paris climate pact, analysis
> finds
>
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/nations-falling-short-emissions-cuts-set-paris-climate-pact-analysis-finds?utm_campaign=news_daily_2018-11-28&et_rid=17045989&et_cid=2515903
>
> Climate change poses major threat to the US, new government report
> concludes
>
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/climate-change-poses-major-threat-us-new-government-report-concludes?utm_campaign=news_daily_2018-11-26&et_rid=17045989&et_cid=2511504
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