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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
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Multimodal Optical Microscopy Methods Reveal Polyp Tissue Morphology and Structure in Caribbean Reef Building Corals
Published on: September 5, 2014
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Relative Pigment Composition and Remote Sensing Reflectance of Caribbean Shallow-Water Corals
Juan L Torres-Pérez1, Liane S Guild2, Roy A Armstrong3
1Bay Area Environmental Research Institute/NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-4, Bldg 245, Rm. 120, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, United States of America.
Plos One
|December 1, 2015
Summary
Coral pigment composition, analyzed via High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), varies significantly between species, suggesting a genetic basis. Remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) offers a non-invasive method to estimate coral pigment concentration for biodiversity and health assessments.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Biochemistry
- Remote Sensing
Background:
- Coral reef ecosystems harbor diverse Scleractinian corals.
- These corals host symbiotic dinoflagellates containing various pigments.
- Pigment profiles influence coral spectral characteristics and health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze pigment composition variations among Caribbean shallow-water Scleractinian corals.
- To determine if pigment composition is genetically determined or environmentally influenced.
- To assess remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) as a tool for estimating coral pigment concentration.
Main Methods:
- High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for pigment identification and quantification.
- Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) for data interpretation.
- Remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) measurements for non-invasive assessment.
Main Results:
- Identified 27 different pigments, including alteration products and pigments from endolithic algae.
- PCA and HCA successfully separated coral species based on pigment composition.
- Strong correlations (79.5-98.5% confidence) found between Rrs and total pigment concentration.
Conclusions:
- Coral pigment composition appears to be more genetically determined than environmentally influenced.
- Rrs is a robust, non-invasive technique for estimating coral pigment concentration.
- This method can aid in coral reef biodiversity and health monitoring.
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