All about corals – WS Philippines
We collected several brooder species in the field for demonstration purposes. They will be brought back safely and reattached to their reef afterward. Brooders are generally moonstruck, they synchronize their larvae release with the lunar cycle. With UV light and yellow goggles we checked for released larvae. Luckily, considering the short time period we are keeping them, we got at least few larvae to investigate. Most participants have never seen a living coral larvae for real!
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Mitch Carl, coral husbandry expert (Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium) shared his knowledge with the group. We learned what is on the corals' menu. They do not only need sunlight to grow their inside garden of symbiotic algae, but corals are also efficient predators and a coral reef can turn into a 'wall of mouth' at night. Water parameters must be well adjusted in order to let corals grow their calcareous 'home' efficiently; their skeleton, which provides the reef's framework―the reef's structure itself. There are several challenges, if you want to successfully rear your corals, such as fighting predators, pests and algae growth. A real expert let others do the work, tells Mitch, like using grazers to keep algae growth low. And always best to have the sea close by, the most promising system is an open one.
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During the brooder lectures we got visitors from ABS CBN Philippines. They as well joined one of our night dives. It is wonderful to share our activities with a greater audience and to have, once more, the chance to raise awareness on the behalf of coral reef conservation.
May 5th was expedition day and we all paid a visit to Agutayan Island. It is a white coral sand bank, situated within a reef atoll. The island and its surrounding reefs are Marine Protected Area (MPA) overviewed by a watchtower and rangers keep a close eye on approaching fisher boats. Agutayan's lagoon features seaweed meadows, where the XU Marine Station has a giant clam nursery consisting of 15 year old Tridacna gigas and other giant clam species. They are part of a giant clam re-seeding program throughout the Philippines. We explored the beautiful under water world of Agutayan, either via scuba or by snorkeling.
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And we are still on night shifts―thanks to our ambitious night diving team. Special thanks go to Fra-and Quimpo (Buddy Dive Center and XU) for his great efforts as dive officer, to Pam Montbach and Tim Wong (both California Academy of Sciences) with their encouraging good mood, and to Michelle Reyes (de la Salle University) for being a lasting dive-buddy and a helping hand (or two). Unfortunately, no spawning so far.
Parts of the SECORE team, supported by the 'Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' (BFAR), who invited us to Camiguin Island, will continue night dives after the workshop. Hopefully in the days after full-moon, we may be finally able to observe coral spawning in the reef.
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