A Solution for Corals in Peril

At the recent Coral Reef Symposium in Bali, Indonesia, scientists concluded that most of the world’s ocean reefs have been killed or severely damaged with the remainder in certain jeopardy. Disastrous reverses in reef health threaten marine biodiversity, tourism, fisheries and shore protection worldwide. Reefs die for many reasons: rising water temperatures, sewage flows, eutrophication, disease, and negligence. A reef ecosystem that took hundreds of years to grow can be destroyed in a single afternoon by dredging, dynamite or cyanide fishing. When coral reefs die, fish populations disappear; beaches and shorelines are damaged. Unprotected by breakwaters, fragile land areas become vulnerable to erosion, saltwater intrusion and destruction from waves.

Reference : Global Coral Reef Alliance, 324 Bedford Road, Chappaqua, New York 10514 USA on line document. 2002.

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A small collection of gastropods and bivalves from the Anambas and Natuna Islands, South China Sea

Ninety-one species of gastropods and 43 species of bivalves were collected during a weeklong expedition to the Anambas and Natuna Islands in the South China Sea. The majority of specimens were from sheltered intertidal habitats including coral reefs, rocky shores and mangroves. SCUBA and bottom trawls augmented collecting efforts. Based on the number of localities where each species was collected, Nerita undata (Neritidae), Clypeomorus batillariaeformis (Cerithiidae), Thais distinguenda (Muricidae) and Thais squamosa (Muricidae) were the most common and widespread intertidal gastropods. The epibyssate Barbatia foliata (Arcidae) and the sand-dwelling intertidal Atactodea striata (Mesodesmatidae) were the most common and widespread bivalves based on the frequency of occurrence at each sampling site. Molluscs from subtidal soft bottom substrata and specialized habitats were poorly represented. Freshwater species were also largely lacking.

Reference : Tan, K.S. and W. W. Kastoro. 2004. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement No. 11: 47 - 54

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Acclimatization / adaptation of coral reefs in a marginal environment

We studied coral reefs in the marginal, high turbidity, high sedimentation environment of the Bay of Banten, NW Java, Indonesia. Coral cover increased and coral partial mortality decreased along an inshore-offshore gradient. Asexual recruitment was dominant, but sexual recruitment was still occurring (-10%). High turbidity (k'= 0.17-1.26) and sedimentation (2.5-63 mg cm^-2day^-1) limit reef development inshore but levels of sedimentation did not correlate with reef development. Resuspension of bottom sediment (75.3%) was important, preventing direct negative effects of sedimentation. At the level of the coral organism we found RNA/DNA ratios in coral tissue, presumably reflecting tissue growth characteristics, to be negatively related with depth over the reef slope. Also, RNA/DNA ratios were consistently higher in corals living in turbid environments, except for the most extremely turbid conditions. This may be genetically based variation and suggests that these corals are adapted sensu stricto to higher turbidity levels.

Reference : Bak, R.P.M. and E.H. Meesters in Moosa, M.K., S. Soemodihardjo, A. Soegiarto, K. Romimohtarto, A. Nontji, Soekarno and Suharsono (ed.). Proceedings of the Ninth International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali. 23-27 Oct. 2000. Vol. 1:265-272

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