Reef coral reproduction in the eastern Pacific: Costa Rica, Panama, and Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

Abstract

Abstract. Reproductive ecology of two major reef-building corals in the eastern Pacific [Pocillopora darnicornis (Linnaeus) and Pocillopora elegans Dana] was investigated between 1984 and 1990 in Costa Rica, Panama (Gulf of Chiriqui and Gulf of Panama), and the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) following the 1982-83 E1 Nifio disturbance. Mature spermatocytes and oocytes were found in both species and were usually present in the same polyp in nearly equal ratios. Numerous zooxanthellae were observed in mature, unfertilized oocytes. Although spawning in field populations was not observed, it is likely that both pocilloporids are simultaneous hermaphroditic spawners, as evidenced by the disappearance of mature gametes after full moon. This is in contrast with most known pocilloporid corals that brood and release planula larvae. Corals were reproductively most active in the thermally stable environments of Costa Rica and the Gulf of Chiriqui (Panama) where 32 to 90% of all colonies contained gametes. In the moderately varying thermal conditions in the Galapagos Islands, 16 to 40% of colonies contained gametes, and in the pronounced seasonal upwelling environment of the Pearl Islands (Panama) only 6 to 18 % of colonies contained gametes. Year-round reproduction occurred in Costa Rica and the Gulf of Chiriqui, whereas reproduction was confined to warm periods in the seasonally varying environments of the Galapagos Islands and the Gulf of Panama. Pocilloporid corals in Costa Rica and the Gulf of Chiriqui demonstrated lunar spawning activity, with mature gametes present a few days before and after full moon. Some limited spawning may have occurred also at new moon. While frequent gamete maturation has been demonstrated in this study, the relatively low rates of larval recruitment occurring on eastern Pacific coral reefs disturbed by the 1982-83 E1 Nifio suggest that the recovery of important frame-building corals could be greatly prolonged.

Reproductive ecology of the azooxanthellate coral Tubastraea coccinea in the Equatorial Eastern Pacific: Part V. Dendrophylliidae

“…As for the great majority of scleractinian corals in the Indo-PaciWc region (Harrison and Wallace 1990; Richmond and Hunter 1990;Hayashibara et al 1993;Penland et al 2004;Guest et al 2005), the reproductive mode of most known eastern tropical PaciWc corals is also broadcast spawning (Glynn et al 1991(Glynn et al , 1994(Glynn et al , 1996a. Similar to Tubastraea coccinea, only the small endemic zooxanthellate coral Porites panamensis broods and releases planula larvae (Glynn et al 1994;Smith 1991).…”

“…Aspects of the sexuality, reproductive condition, lunar and seasonal spawning patterns, fecundity and planula settlement behavior of Tubastraea coccinea are considered here as a contribution to a series of studies on the reproductive ecology of eastern PaciWc scleractinian corals (Glynn et al 1991(Glynn et al , 1994(Glynn et al , 1996aColley et al 2000Colley et al , 2006. The principal motivation for these studies stems from the severe El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) disturbance of 1982-1983 that devastated coral reefs and coral communities in the equatorial eastern PaciWc (Glynn 1984(Glynn , 1990Glynn and Colgan 1992;Guzmán and Cortés 1992;Prahl 1985;Robinson 1985) The equally strong 1997-1998 ENSO event also caused coral mortality and aVected coral reproduction in the eastern PaciWc (Glynn et al 2001;Colley et al 2006).…”

“…How might this success be related to its reproductive ecology? It is now possible to compare the reproductive activity and fecundity of T. coccinea with 11 other reef corals in Costa Rica, Panamá and the Galápagos Islands (Glynn et al 1991(Glynn et al , 1994(Glynn et al , 1996aColley et al 2000Colley et al , 2006. Selection of study sites was based primarily on the diversity of environmental conditions prevalent in the equatorial eastern PaciW: (1) Caño Island, Costa Rica, and Gulf of Chiriquí, Panamá-relatively high and constant sea surface temperature (SST); (2) Gulf of Panamá, Panamá-seasonal upwelling with marked SST declines; (3) Galápagos Islands, Ecuador-relatively low and variable SSTs frequently inXuenced by El Niño and La Niña activity.…”

Evaluación de la gametogénesis y fecundidad de corales escleractinios: Orbicella annularis, Pseudodiploria strigosa y Siderastrea siderea, en Isla Fuerte (Bolívar), Colombia

“…Con otro cm 2 de la muestra se realizó histología, siguiendo el protocolo propuesto por Glynn et al (1991). Los cortes del tejido coralino fueron realizados con un micrótomo de rotación manual, 2 preparaciones por colonia, 3-5 cortes transversales y longitudinales con un grosor de 7-8 µm por muestra, (entre un corte y otro se dejó 240 µm).…”

Gametogenesis in Madracis decactis Lyman, 1859 (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) from Ilha Grande Bay (Rio de Janeiro), southeastern Brazil

“…Spermaries Oocytes Typical bouquet arrangement occasionally observed However, to confirm the exact reproductive mode of M. decactis, it would be necessary to observe embryos or planulae in the histological sections or to observe the planulation directly to be sure that the species from Ilha Grande Bay broods its planulae, because this characteristic can vary intraspecifically, as observed in other species of the genus Pocillopora, which can spawn gametes, brood planulae or both (GLYNN et al, 1991;TANNER, 1996;WARD, 1992).…”