The structure of turbulence and its role in the breaking wave dynamics within the surf zone have been investigated through laboratory experiments using several flow visualization techniques and a fibre-optic LDV system. The results indicate that there exists a characteristic structure of large-scale eddies referred to here as ‘horizontal eddies’ and ‘obliquely descending eddies’, which has a significant role in the generation of Reynolds stress and thus affects the deformation of the mean flow field. The experiments also reveal that these eddies caused by the wave breaking bring a large amount of vorticity (with non-zero average) into otherwise almost irrotational velocity fields, resulting in the generation of vorticity-related mean flow fields as well as turbulence (vorticity-containing velocity fluctuation). This means that the breaking waves in the surf zone can be regarded as pseudowaves which consist of irrotational velocity components as ‘wave motion’ and appreciable amounts of rotational mean velocity components as ‘eddying motion’ (with non-zero mean vorticity) together with turbulence. It is found that the generation of the mean rotational velocity component due to wave breaking causes considerable increase in mass and momentum transport, as compared with ordinary non-breaking waves, and thus a decrease in wave height.
Population outbreaks of the coral-eating starfish, Acanthaster planci, are hypothesized to spread to many localities in the Indo-Pacific Ocean through dispersal of planktonic larvae. To elucidate the gene flow of A. planci across the Indo-Pacific in relation to ocean currents and to test the larval dispersal hypothesis, the genetic structure among 23 samples over the Indo-Pacific was analysed using seven highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. The F-statistics and genetic admixture analysis detected genetically distinct groups in accordance with ocean current systems, that is, the Southeast African group (Kenya and Mayotte), the Northwestern Pacific group (the Philippines and Japan), Palau, the North Central Pacific group (Majuro and Pohnpei), the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, and French Polynesia, with a large genetic break between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. A pattern of significant isolation by distance was observed among all samples (P = 0.001, r = 0.88, n = 253, Mantel test), indicating restricted gene flow among the samples in accordance with geographical distances. The data also indicated strong gene flow within the Southeast African, Northwestern Pacific, and Great Barrier Reef groups. These results suggest that the western boundary currents have strong influence on gene flow of this species and may trigger secondary outbreaks.
Stored lipids in marine planktonic larvae play an important role in buoyancy and as an energy source and thus are a key to understanding the dispersal and settlement potential of larvae. However, little is known about lipid content and composition in different coral species or their temporal changes during larval dispersal. We examined the lipid content and composition of eggs and planula larvae of Acropora tenuis, a reef-building coral, and their temporal changes over the course of larval dispersal and settlement. The total content and composition of lipids in newly released planulae of the brooding corals A. brueggemanni, Pocillopora damicornis and Heliopora coerulea were also examined for comparison. A. tenuis eggs were positively buoyant; lipids accounted for 85% of their dry weight, but decreased to 50% of their dry weight within 30 d after spawning. Wax esters were a major component of lipids in the eggs; they decreased appreciably by 5 d after spawning and decreased thereafter. In contrast, the phospholipid content remained almost constant. The period of rapid decrease in wax esters occurred before settlement, suggesting that A. tenuis planulae consume mainly wax ester lipids as an energy source during the planktonic phase. In contrast, the lipid content of H. coerulea planulae, which have a shorter dispersal period, was lower (41% of dry weight) than that found in 5-d-old planulae of A. tenuis and newly released planulae of A. brueggemanni and P. damicornis (> 58% of dry weight). Triacylglycerols in lipids were detected in P. damicornis and H. coerulea planulae, which settle quickly after release, but not in A. tenuis or A. brueggemanni, suggesting that triacylglycerols are used for rapid energy. These findings suggest that lipids are used for buoyancy and as an energy source and are related to differences in the dispersal period of planulae among coral species.
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