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Settling in aggregation: Spatial planning consideration for brooding coral transplants.

Dor Shefy1, Gabrielle Guerrini2, Nir Marom3

  • 1Marine Biology and Biotechnology Program, Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev-Eilat Campus, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel; Israel Oceanography and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, P.O. Box 8030, Haifa, 3109701, Israel; The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Science, Eilat, 88000, Israel.

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Summary

Coral larvae of Stylophora pistillata aggregate during settlement, contrary to random chance, without kinship preference. This aggregation may benefit coral survival and growth, offering potential for reef restoration.

Keywords:
AllorecognitionChimerismEcological engineeringReef restorationSettlementStylophora pistillata

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Coral Reef Ecology
  • Invertebrate Zoology

Background:

  • Aggregated larval co-settlement influences adult populations in many marine invertebrates.
  • Kinship settlement patterns in brooding corals remain understudied, particularly with increased larval densities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate larval settlement patterns of the brooding coral Stylophora pistillata.
  • To determine if kinship influences settlement aggregation in S. pistillata.
  • To compare observed settlement patterns with random settlement simulations.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted ex-situ experiments using planulae staining for kinship resolution.
  • Utilized a computer simulation to model random larval settlement.
  • Performed field surveys on naturally occurring juvenile coral colonies.

Main Results:

  • Larval settlement of Stylophora pistillata was primarily influenced by the number of larval donors.
  • Coral larvae exhibited significant aggregation, with up to 50% tissue contact, far exceeding the 3% predicted by random settlement.
  • No kinship bias was detected in the observed settlement patterns.
  • Field surveys confirmed similar aggregation patterns in juvenile coral colonies.

Conclusions:

  • Aggregated settlement in Stylophora pistillata occurs independently of kinship, driven by factors like larval density.
  • While aggregation presents competition challenges, it offers potential benefits like enhanced fertilization, chimerism, increased colony size, and improved survivorship.
  • The aggregation behavior of brooding corals presents opportunities for ecological engineering in reef restoration efforts.