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Observations on the Reproduction of Acropora Corals Along the Tuticorin Coast of the Gulf of Mannar, Southeastern India

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Observations on the Reproduction of Acropora Corals Along the Tuticorin Coast of the Gulf of Mannar, Southeastern India Indian Journal of Marine Sciences Vol. 39(2), June 2010, pp. 219-226 Observations on the reproduction of Acropora corals along the Tuticorin coast of the Gulf of Mannar, Southeastern India K Diraviya Raj & J K Patterson Edward Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, 44-Beach Road, Tuticorin–628 001, Tamil Nadu, India [E-mail: [email protected]] Received 5 February 2009; revised 22 June 2009 Pattern of reproduction was studied in Acropora species along Tuticorin coast in the Gulf of Mannar from 2006-2008. Extensive surveys were conducted to monitor reproductive maturity and the timing of spawning. Gametes were observed from January with colonies releasing gametes by the end of March. Acropora cytherea showed immature colonies in January (48-79%) and February (56-76%) and mature colonies in March (36-86%). Likewise, the other species of Acropora examined showed 50-75% of immature colonies in January and an increase of 10-20% of immature colonies in February, and matured in March. The average percentage of mature colonies in March was as follows, A. formosa 47-76%, A. valenciennesi 50-81%, A. intermedia 50-81%, A. nobilis 25-82%, A. micropthalma 56-83%, A. hemprichi 39-83%, A. hyacinthus 33-100%, A. corymbosa 59-65%. Spawning was observed in A. cytherea on 24 March 2006, 10 days after full moon; 28 March in 2007, 5 days prior to full moon; and 8 March 2008, 1 day after new moon. Approximately 30,000 egg and sperm bundles were observed in 1 litre of water and each bundle had 20-25 eggs in A. cytherea . Environmental parameters, especially rise in temperature at the end of March was believed to play lead role in coral spawning. [Keywords: Acropora , Spawning, Immature, Mature, Reproduction] Introduction the southern end of the Gulf of Mannar Marine The life cycle of corals includes a free-living National Park. Different reef types such as platform, planktonic planula phase and a sessile polyp phase, and patch and fringing type are observed in the Gulf of various asexual and sexual modes of reproduction. Mannar. The islands have dominantly fringing reefs Spawning to the process in which corals release sperm and also patch reefs around them. Narrow fringing and eggs to be fertilized externally 1. Sexual reproduction reefs are located mostly at a distance of 50 to 100 m in corals involves the process of gametogenesis, which from the islands. On the other hand, patch reefs rise may require from a few weeks to over 10 months 2. Coral from depths of 2 to 9 m and extend to 1 to 2 km in spawning and reproduction allow corals to inhibit other length with width as much as 50 m. Reef flats are geographic areas and recover from damage of stressful extensive in almost all the reefs in the Gulf of Mannar. events. During their larval stage, corals can travel longer Reef areas of the Tuticorin coast in the Gulf of distances and can eventually settle on reefs quite far Mannar have been severely damaged due to from where were spawned 3. anthropogenic activities, in particular coral mining, With reef degradation and destruction occurring on a dynamiting and other destructive practices, and hence it global scale 4, an application of the reproductive data is is important to have a basic data base on the coral necessary in the area of reef restoration. Even though reproduction in this area. In India, the study on coral sexual reproduction is one of the most important reproductive biology is new to science and this study is processes for the persistence of reefs, little is known first such effort. Reproductive maturity of the Acropora about the factors that regulate reproductive events for corals and the timing of spawning along the Tuticorin the majority of reef species 5. A wide range of coast and its relationship with the environmental environmental factors may influence the timing of factors were studied in this paper. coral reproduction 6. Coral reefs of the Gulf of Mannar along the Materials and Methods southeastern coast of India are mainly formed around Study sites 21 islands, located between Pamban and Tuticorin. Mainland patch reef (Lat. 8 ° 43´ N, Long. 78 ° 11´ Tuticorin (Lat. 8º 45' N, Long. 78º 10' E) is located at E) - Ten species of Acropora were monitored in this 220 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 39, NO. 2, JUNE 2010 location, Acropora formosa, A. intermedia, was carried out up to April 2007. All the sites are A. microthalma, A. nobilis, A. cytherea, A. shown in the Fig. 1. hyacinthus, A. diversa, A. hemphichi, A. corymbosa, and A. valenciennesi. Monitoring for reproduction Vaan Island (Lat 8 ° 50´ N, Long. 78 ° 13´ E) - Five The monitoring of reproductive behaviour of the Acropora species were monitored, A. cytherea, Acroporans of Tuticorin region of the Gulf of Mannar A. formosa, A. valenciennesi, A. intermedia and was carried out from January 2006 to March 2008 at A. nobilis. five different locations. Koswari Island (Lat. 8 ° 52´ N, Long. 78 ° 13´ E) - Monthly samplings were carried out to find out the Because of the relatively low coral cover, only four maturation of coral colonies at all the study sites. Any species A. cytherea, A. formosa, A. valenciennesi and Acropora colony encountered during the survey was A. nobilis, were monitored in this Island since studied. Random samplings were carried out to reduce January 2007. the stress to the same colony. The colonies above 40 cm in diameter were sampled to prevent stressing the ° ° Kariyachalli Island (Lat. 8 57´ N, Long. 78 15´ E) newly growing corals. The reproductive state of - Twelve species of Acropora were monitored, Acropora species was assessed by breaking off a A. cytherea, A. intermedia, A. valenciennesi, branch below the expected sterile zone (5 cm below A. microthalma, A. corymbosa, A. nobilis, A. valida, the tip) 6 and noting the presence or absence of eggs. A. hemphichi, A. hyacinthus, A. stoddarti, A. diversa Unpigmented (immature) are likely to spawn within 1 and A. formosa. to 3 months; visible and pigmented (matured) are Port breakwater area - (Lat. 8 ° 45´ N, Long. 78 ° likely to spawn with in a month and colonies with no 13´ E) – Five species were monitored, A. cytherea, visible eggs (empty) have either just spawned or are A. formosa, A. valenciennesi, A. intermedia and not likely to spawn with in three months 7, 8 (Figs 2 A. nobilis. In the Port breakwater area, monitoring and 3). Fig. 1—Map showing study sites in Tuticorin coast of the Gulf of Mannar RAJ & EDWARD: REPRODUCTION OF ACOROPORA CORALS 221 Figs 2 & 3—Immature eggs of Acropora nobilis The timing of spawning was monitored using Results SCUBA at night. Starting from 7 pm dives were made Maturation of gametes with an interval of 30 minutes to investigate the In Acropora species, visible but immature gametes spawning during these suspected nights. Vaan Island were first seen in January during the study years and was concentrated for the spawning observation the percentage of colonies with immature gametes because of its proximity to the shore and relatively increase in the next month and the gametes get good coral cover. Photographs were taken when the coloration and maturity during March and spawn in spawning was observed with underwater digital the same month and the coral colonies do not have camera. Gametes were collected from spawning visible eggs rest of the year in all the study sites. The corals by setting a funnel-shaped bundle-collecting overall average percentage of immature colonies for device (bundle collector) under the water and above A. cytherea in January was between 48-79%; it was the coral colony 9. Bundle collecting devices were set 56-76% in February and matured colonies in March during the suspected spawning season and they were was 36-86%. checked every day. The collected bundles were taken Similarly, the other Acropora species showed 50 to to the lab and the eggs were measured to its nearest 75% of immature colonies in January and an increase margin with Motic Digital Microscope with imaging of 10 to 20% in February, and all the colonies matured Software (Model no. DMB1-223) and photographs in March at all the study sites. The average percentage were taken. of mature colonies in other Acroporans during March in all the study sites throughout the study period was as Physical and chemical parameters follows: A. formosa 47-76%, A. valenciennesi 50-81%, Biophysical parameters such as temperature, A. intermedia 50-81%, A. nobilis 25-82%, salinity, pH, transparency, dissolved oxygen and A. micropthalma 56-83%, A. hemprichi 39-83%, nutrients were analyzed monthly in the water samples A. hyacinthus 33-100% and A. corymbosa 59-65%. The collected from all study locations to study whether details are given in the Tables 1-5. The genus they have any impact on coral reproduction. Montipora is common in all the three islands and lack Temperature was measured with digital thermometer; colouring pattern in gametes; they showed visible salinity was measured using refracto meter; pH was gametes from January to March in the study period. measured with pH meter; transparency was measured Student ‘t’ test analysis showed no significant with secchi disc; dissolved oxygen was measured with difference (P>0.05) between the maturation of the coral Winkler’s method; calcium and magnesium were colonies and sea surface temperature (Table 9). measured titrimetrically; phosphate was measured by 10 the method of Murphy and Riley (1962) ; Nitrates Spawning event and Nitrites were measured spectrophotometrically by Spawning was observed in Acropora cytherea on following Strickland and Parson (1972) 11 . 24 March 2006, 10 days after the full moon.
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