[Coral-List] Dendrogyra

Thu May 27 13:18:24 UTC 2021

Dear all,

The revision of the existing knowledge about Dendrogyra cylindrus shows
clearly that it is not a significant reef builder.

On a separate note, until very recently this species was considered a
gonochoric (separate male and female colonies).  Neely KL, Levis C, Chan
AN, Baums IB. (2018. Coral Reefs, 37:1987-1092) described case in Florida
Keys of hermaphroditic spawning of Pillar coral. Over years they observed
switching from female to hermaphrodite, and from male to hermaphrodite, and
one from hermaphrodite to male. Hope to see the continuation of their
observations, which demonstrate the evolutionary potential of corals.

The biodiversity is priceless, every species is unique, the coral systems
are crucial for our existence.  The problem is how to act most efficiently
before we lose them.

Cheers,

Vassil

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

On Thu, May 27, 2021 at 7:31 AM Glynn, Peter W. <pglynn at rsmas.miami.edu>
wrote:

> Dear coral-list colleagues,
>
> Dendrogyra.  In my early coral reef surveys in SW Puerto Rico in the
> 1960s, I came across a shallow (3-5 m depth) dense population of D.
> cylindrus not far from the shoreline.  There were 20 to 30 live colonies in
> a 10 X 20 m patch.  Several of the colonies were about 1 m high and a few
> 1.5 m.
> I revisited this population in the early 1990s, thanks to Bob Ginsburg,
> and it was still there although several colonies displayed dead patches
> (approx. 10 X 10 and 10 X 15 cm).  Damselfish had established territories
> and were cultivating algae on some of the dead patches.  They appear to
> have been initiated by diseased tissues.
> Apologies for not having GPS coordinates, but the population was located
> about half way between Magueyes Island and Bahia Fosforecente, not far from
> the shore.
> It would be worthwhile to re-visit this site to assess the condition of
> the corals if they are still there.
> Cheers, PWGlynn
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf Of
> Longin Kaczmarsky via Coral-List
> Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 11:00 AM
> To: Coral-List Subscribers <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>; Vassil
> Zlatarski <vzlatarski at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Dendrogyra
>
> An important ecological role of Pillar coral in ecosystems associated with
> coral reefs may not be so much as a reef-builder but as isolated refugia
> interspersed in patch reefs. When I was diving and snorkeling in the 1980s,
> long before getting a PhD researching coral diseases, I would cover very
> large tracts of near-shore patch reefs 6 hours+/day, almost every day, for
> about six years collecting fish and inverts for the aquarium trade (during
> a time when these organisms were far more abundant). This gave me great
> insights into distribution patterns for many reef species. During this
> time, I recorded and mapped favorable locations/conditions for hundreds of
> species (fish, inverts, and algae). I would particularly make note of the
> "rare" giant Dendrogyra colonies because they were magnets for certain
> species that would concentrate on them, colorful juvenile jewelfish for
> example. They were more often found in open bottom areas, near to patches
> of more diverse reefs, rather than integra  ted in a mixed species reef
> structure.
>
> Lonnie Kaczmarsky, PhD
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> on behalf of
> Vassil Zlatarski via Coral-List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2021 6:46 AM
> To: Coral-List Subscribers <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Dendrogyra
>
> With all my deep pain for the degradation of coral reefs, the
> investigations since the 1970s in Cuban Archipelago and in the 1980s around
> Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico never established that Pillar coral (Dendrogyra
> cylindrus) was a significant reef builder.
>
> Vassil
>
> On Wed, May 26, 2021 at 5:17 AM Eugene Shinn via Coral-List <
> coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> wrote:
>
> > In all my 60+ yearsdiving in the Florida Keys (starting in my senior
> > year in high school(1953) I never saw a mailbox placed on pillar coral.
> > Remember there were few residents in the Keys and major canal dredging
> > started in the late 1950s extending into the early 1960s. I watched it
> > all. Major changes began in the 1970s much of it spurred on later by
> > creation of the Key Largo Coral Reef Sanctuary, the first Burger King,
> > and creation of dive shops.
> >
> > While doing geological research and drilling around 100  reef cores we
> > never encountered Pillar coral. Living ones were rare in the 50s and
> > 60s and were never considered significant reef builders. They never
> > could have created significant habitat for reef fishes or other reef
> > fauna. I have photographed large ones on Jamaican reefs but I can not
> > speak for the rest of the Caribbean.Nevertheless, I seriously doubt
> > they have ever been significant reef builders anywhere in the
> > Caribbean. They also do not appear in exposures of Pleistocene coral
> > reefs. You will not see them in the beautiful exposures of reef
> > limestone in the Florida Keys Fossil reef quarry on Windley key.Gene
> >
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