The Growth of Hanging Acroporas By: Emily Medendorp and Bridget Rumely

Why Corals?

-Coral Reef degradation-climate change, pollution, overfishing,

blast fishing, disease outbreaks-Various methods of restoration

-the “hanging” method

Background on Acroporas

-Acropora: genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria -“a porous system or branch”-Around 150 species -Responsible for building the calcium carbonate substructure that supports the thin living skin of a reef

1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/21795604@N03/9588754982/in/photolist-95rsqE-fBjSML-

2. https://www.flickr.com/photos/54558410@N06/5301086822/in/photolist-95rsqE-fBjSML-

3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/boris_44/2218449083/in/photolist-7KLoDu-qfekMN-4

Continued Background of Acroporas

-Can grow in plates or in slender or broad branches - colonies of individual polyps (2mm)

-Fastest growing corals on reefs

-Common causes for acropora death/bleaching: pollution, abnormally warm water temps, increased ocean acidification, sedimentation, and eutrophication

1. http://www.arkive.org/staghorn-coral/acropora-cervicornis/image-G25977.html

2. http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/B7/B7341946-12E2-4BE9-9D12-1E44E69CE6BC/Presentation.Large/Bleached-Acropora-spp-coral.jpg

3. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Cnidarians/Anthozoans/ScleractinianPIX/AcroporidPIX/Acropora/P5100027%20SPS.jpg

4. http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/img/web_231279_362384.jpg

Initial Research Questions

1. What marine surroundings will expedite the fragmentation of acroporas?2. Does keeping the acroporas on plugs prevent them from fast and full

growth?3. Does feeding the corals more often on a specific schedule make growing

acroporas more successful?4. Of the corals selected from the ORA, what will be the most profitable when

selling them?5. Of the corals selected, which coral will grow the fastest?

Background Research

-Keryea Soong and Tai-an Chen - “Restoration Ecology”

-Transplantation -Zachary Ostroff -NOVA Southeastern University

-suspended vs. secured to growth plates/pucks

https://vimeo.com/29893669 1. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/1

2/17/finding-a-place-for-coral-farms-in-a-changing-ocean/?_r=0

2. http://coralmorphologic.com/b/2011/10/03/a-floating-forest

3. https://31.media.tumblr.com/1c627dfcc40dac72334da56a54f97813/tumblr_inline_n2e9mgg6IP1rw4rkd.jpg

Initial Hypothesis

If the different types of acroporas that have been selected are hung by a pipe, rod, or board in the tank, they will have an increased growth rate.

Research Plan

-Supplies/Equipment: selected species of corals, fishing line, 100 gallon tank (frag) with powerheads, metal halide/actinic lights, etc. , binder with tables, ruler, refractometer/pH/thermometer

Meet the acroporas!

Blue Voodoo - SP2?

Dark Green Digitals Purple Nana Frogskin

Tri Colored Valida Plum Crazy? - SP1

All pictures from ORA:http://www.orafarm.com/

Acroporas in the Frag Tank

Data Collected - Observation Sheet

1. Date2. Take routine measurements:

temperature, salinity, and pH3. Complete project observations -

measure each frags from tip to end in cm and count the number of branches

4. Record data 5. Observe corals - questions, new

sources, and observations 6. Put ruler back in binder flap

Feeding the Corals

-Long been considered a passive organism -recently discovered that corals can use their

miniscule appendages to stir water up in turbulent patterns -3-4 times a week - combination of rotifers, reef plankton, cyclops (frozen)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCv-HzdhILQ#t=82 http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-an

imals/corals-eat-stirring-turbulent-vortexes

Review of Research Questions

1. What marine surroundings will expedite the fragmentation of acroporas? a. Powerhead b. Oxygen and Nitrogen Cycles - Success!

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/aquariumuvsterilization.html

Review of Research Questions

2. Does keeping the acroporas on plugs prevent them from fast and full growth?

a. No, it doesn’t!b. Super glue, cutting the plugs off, etc.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3352+3354+3380&pcatid=3380

Review of Research Questions

3. Does feeding the corals more often on a specific schedule make growing acroporas more successful?

a. No, not that we know of...b. Generally nocturnal feeders

Review of Research Questions

4. Of the corals selected from the ORA, what will be the most profitable when selling them?

a. We didn’t get a chance to propagate b. Frogskin and Tri Colored Valida

1. http://dfwmas.org/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=77231

2. http://uniquecorals.com/acropora-sp-ora-frogskin-acropora-1-25-wysiwyg-frag.html

Review of Research Questions

5. Of the corals selected, which coral will grow the fastest?

a. Tri Colored Valida i. both a success and troubleshooting

Successes and Challenges

-Very tricky to keep in general-sensitive to water quality, very clean,

stable water column, require Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium (imp. for skeletal growth), etc.-Bleaching - finding the cause -Lines getting tangled

Data - SP1 and SP2

Data - Dark Green Digitals and Blue Voodoo Stag

Data - Purple Nana and Frogskin

Data - Tri-Colored Valida

Observations of Data

- The steady growth of Frogskin and Tri-Color Valida-Sp1, Sp2, and Blue Voodoo Stag stopped growing and began to die after 29, 25, and 31 days (respectively)-In the comparison graph, they are labeled farthest to closest of the powerhead

-Notice that each of the acropora’s growth pattern gets stronger as you go up the line

Sp1

Reflection on hypothesis

Initial hypothesis: If the different types of acroporas that have been selected are hung by a pipe, rod, or board in the tank, they will have an increased growth rate.

-Data supported this, but also showed other trends! -Powerhead - water flow

Conclusions

We would recommend this method with some changes:1. Another powerhead on the other side of the frag tank to

increase water flow2. Taking some off the plugs and leave some on plugs to

compare growth3. Order two of every species to compare growth of each

acropora

“Big Picture” and Future Directions

-Not much known about suspending acroporas -Challenging to keep -Share information (powerhead)-Recieve feedback as to why the corals died so quickly -Compare results

Bibliography

Wijgerde, T., and F. Houlbrèque. "How Corals Feed." Coral Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/nutrition-6/how-corals-feed>.Sprung, Julian. Corals: A Quick Reference Guide. Miami: Ricordea, 1999Wijgerde, Tim, and Michael Laterveer. "Coral Growth under Light Emitting Diode and Light Emitting Plasma." Advanced Aquarist Feb. 2013: <http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/2/aafeature>.Tiny Cilia Help Corals Exchange Oxygen and Nutrients." Under the C: <http://underthecblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/tiny-cilia-help-corals-exchange-oxygen-and-nutrients-with-the-environment/> Soong, Keryea, and Tai-an Chen. "Coral Transplantation: Regeneration and Growth of Acropora Fragments in a Nursery." Restoration Ecology Mar.-Apr. 2003: <http://www.mbi.nsysu.edu.tw/keryea/Coral%20fragment-Res.%20Ecol.pdf> Oakley, Rachael. "Factors Affecting Coral Reefs." USA Today: <http://traveltips.usatoday.com/factors-affecting-coral-reefs-63294.html>"DIY New 100% Effective Way to Grow Frags." Reef to Reef. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do-yourself-diy/89909-do-yourself-new-100%25-effective-way-grow-frags.html>."Acropora: Staghorn Corals." Encyclopedia of Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2014. <http://eol.org/pages/23055/details>."Acropora." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropora.