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Calm before the spawn: global coral spawning patterns are explained by regional wind fields.

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA. rvw@fit.edu

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|November 7, 2009

Summary

Coral spawning schedules are influenced by regional wind patterns. Calm periods allow for tightly coupled spawning, ensuring fertilization and larval retention for local coral recruitment.

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Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Oceanography
Reproductive Ecology

Background:

Coral reproductive schedules vary geographically, impacting fertilization and larval dispersal.
The environmental cues driving coral spawning synchrony remain poorly understood.
Regional differences exist, with some corals spawning tightly and others over extended periods.

Purpose of the Study:

To test the hypothesis that regional wind fields influence coral spawning synchrony.
To reconcile geographical variations in coral spawning seasons.
To identify the ultimate reproductive proxy for coral mass spawning.

Main Methods:

Assessed regional wind fields at seven localities using the Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite.
Analyzed wind data from 1997 to 2006.
Correlated the duration of calm periods with the coupling of mass coral spawning events.

Main Results:

A direct positive relationship was found between the duration of regional calm periods and the coupling of mass coral spawning.
Regions with longer calm periods exhibited more tightly coupled spawning events.
Shorter calm periods were associated with less synchronized spawning.

Conclusions:

Regional wind fields, specifically calm periods, act as the ultimate reproductive proxy for corals.
Spawning during calm periods enhances fertilization success and facilitates larval retention and local recruitment.
This finding aligns with genetic evidence supporting local dispersal and high retention in coral populations.