Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Measuring the Structure, Composition, and Change of Underwater Environments with Large-area Imaging
Published on: April 18, 2025
The biology and economics of coral growth
Ronald Osinga1, Miriam Schutter, Ben Griffioen
1Aquaculture and Fisheries, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700, AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands. ronald.osinga@wur.nl
Abstract:
To protect natural coral reefs, it is of utmost importance to understand how the growth of the main reef-building organisms-the zooxanthellate scleractinian corals-is controlled. Understanding coral growth is also relevant for coral aquaculture, which is a rapidly developing business. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of factors that can influence the growth of zooxanthellate scleractinian corals, with particular emphasis on interactions between these factors. Furthermore, the kinetic principles underlying coral growth are discussed. The reviewed information is put into an economic perspective by making an estimation of the costs of coral aquaculture.
Related Concept Videos
Population Growth
Energy Budgets and Reproductive Strategies
Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns
Growth Models with Integration: Problem Solving
Modeling with Differential Equations
Exponential Equations for Modeling Growth

