An Indo-Pacific coral spawning database.

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Coral Reef Ecology
• Reproductive Biology

Background:

• Synchronous spawning events in scleractinian corals were first documented on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s.
• Subsequent global efforts to record coral spawning times yielded substantial data, much of which remained unpublished.
• Limited accessibility of this data hindered comprehensive analysis of coral reproductive patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To consolidate disparate and unpublished coral spawning observations into a single, accessible database.
• To facilitate a deeper understanding of regional and global reproductive patterns in scleractinian corals.
• To establish a baseline for monitoring future shifts in coral reproductive phenology.

Main Methods:

• Compilation of 6178 coral spawning observations from 101 Indo-Pacific sites.
• Inclusion of data for over 300 scleractinian coral species across 61 genera.
• Integration of 3085 previously unpublished spawning records.

Main Results:

• The Coral Spawning Database (CSD) now houses a significant collection of global coral spawning data.
• The database provides comprehensive information on the timing of spawning events for numerous coral species.
• It includes a substantial proportion of previously inaccessible, unpublished data.

Conclusions:

• The CSD offers open access to vital coral spawning data, accelerating research into coral reproductive biology.
• This database serves as a critical resource for understanding current coral reproductive phenology.
• It provides a foundation for detecting and evaluating long-term changes in coral spawning patterns.