Harlequinmania

Do a major water change should help alot. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Click through to see the images. From the University of New South Wales: Secrets of the legless, leaping land fish " height="383" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="680"> "> "> One of the world’s strangest animals – a legless, leaping fish that lives on land - uses camouflage to avoid attacks by predators such as birds, lizards and crabs, new research shows. UNSW researchers, Dr Terry Ord and Courtney Morgans, of the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, studied the unique fish – Pacific leaping blennies - in their natural habitat on the tropical island of Guam. Their study will be published in the journal Animal Behaviour. “This terrestrial fish spends all of its adult life living on the rocks in the splash zone, hopping around defending its territory, feeding and courting mates. They offer a unique opportunity to discover in a living animal how the transition from water to the land has taken place,” says Dr Ord, of the UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The researchers first measured the colour of five different populations of the fish around the island and compared this with the colour of the rocks they lived on. “They were virtually identical in each case. The fish’s body colour is camouflaged to match the rocks, presumably so they aren’t obvious to predators,” says Dr Ord. To see if background matching reduced predation, the researchers created realistic-looking models of blennies out of plasticine. “We put lots of these model blennies on the rocks where the fish live, as well as on an adjacent beach where their body colour against the sand made them much more conspicuous to predators,” says Dr Ord. “After several days we collected the models and recorded how often birds, lizards and crabs had attacked them from the marks in the plasticine. We found the models on the sand were attacked far more frequently than those on the rocks. “This means the fish are uniquely camouflaged to their rocky environments and this helps them avoid being eaten by land predators.” The researchers then studied the body colour of closely related species of fish, some of which lived in the water and some of which were amphibious, sharing their time between land and sea. “These species provide an evolutionary snapshot of each stage of the land invasion by fish,” says Dr Ord. The similarities in colour between these species and the land-dwelling fish suggest the ancestors of the land-dwelling fish already had a colouration that matched the rocky shoreline before they moved out of the water, which would have made it easier for them to survive in their new habitat. The Pacific leaping blenny, Alticus arnoldorum, is about four to eight centimetres long and leaps using a tail-twisting behaviour. It remains on land all its adult life but has to stay moist to be able to breathe through its gills and skin. View the full article

Now we know how lucky we are here in singapore. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Click through to see the images. Skyrises, concert halls, and museums beware. Public aquariums are trending as platforms for award-winning architecture. We often say "Don't judge a book by its cover," but when it comes to cultural buildings, cities and architects are recognizing that the structure itself can provide as much inspiration as what's within. In March 2013, the Blue Planet Aquarium in Denmark set the benchmark for public aquarium architecture. The Blue Planet combined sweeping organic lines with a reflective metal-clad exterior, paying tribute to the wind-swept Danish coastline through a modern interpretation. Introducing Batumi Aquarium The Batumi Aquarium is the next public aquarium to marry nature and modernism into a cohesive, beautiful, and functional building. The aquarium will be built at Batumi Beach, so the architects conceived the design of multiple interconnected rooms resembling a stack of polished beach pebbles when viewed from both ground level and from overhead. Four of these "pebbles" will each house exhibits for one of four distinct biotopes: the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Aegean/Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. The top "pebble" is reserved for administration, and the area sandwiched between the the "pebbles" will serve as the common gathering area. All told, the aquarium will have a gross floor plan of approximately 2000 square meters (~21,000 square feet). Henning Larsen Architects won the open design competition in 2010; Coincidentally, Henning Larson is a Danish firm, though they were not responsible for The Blue Planet (designed by 3XN). Construction was to begin this year (2013), although we have not been able to confirm if they've broke ground yet. Floor plan and cross sections Artist Renditions View the full article

Click through to see the images. SPS lovers are all too familiar with the Acropora-eating flatworm (AEFW), which can destroy significant amounts of Acropora spp. corals before the infected tank is brought under control. This research aims to develop a better understanding of the AEFW's life cycle in hopes of finding a better way to eradicate it from infected tanks. What is unique about this project is it's crowd-funded, very much like Kickstarter but for scientific research. If someone finds this research worthy of funding, they simply pledge money and if enough people pledge and the project meets its funding goal, the research is funded and the project can get underway. The project is headed by Kate Rawlinson, a postdoctoral researcher from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She would like to answer the following questions in this phase of the research: How long does it take for the eggs to hatch? Do they hatch as larvae or juveniles, or both? How long does it take for the worms to reach sexual maturity? How long can the newly hatched worms survive without food? How long can the adult survive without food? Answering these five questions will help with out understanding of the AEFW and could be used to devise a protocol for its control and eradication. Funds for the project will be spent on travel, laboratory equipment, and corals for research. Currently the research project has raised $1,839 of the $5,141 financial goal and there's still 37 days left in the fund raising campaign. Let's see if we as a reefkeeping community can push the funding over the top! Head over to their project page on Microryza and pledge your support. View the full article

At lck Saw some AT, multicolor angel, flame angel, french, rock beauty, grey queen angel , mystery wrasse, white cap goby, neon goby, blue reef chromis, flame hawk, royal grama, black cap ect... Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

It work better if it is place in a reactor if not you can simply place it in your sump in high flow area. The good thing about bio sphere is the media will not croack up and u just need to add new media when it melts. If you n03 is still high, maybe you can add more bio sphere media to bring it lower. From personal experience, nitrate only start to drop after two week of using which I feel is due to the bacteria start to colonise. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

LCK just came in live pods from USA.

Click through to see the images. Researchers have discovered the seahorses' head is uniquely designed for both stealth and speed for capturing unsuspecting prey. Published this week in Nature Communications, researchers Gemmell, Sheng, and Buskey report their findings in the paper "Morphology of seahorse head hydrodynamically aids in capture of evasive prey." What researchers wanted to know was how a seahorse, which swims very slowly, could sneak up on prey that is very sensitive to water disturbances. Copepods, for example, are incredibly sensitive to water disturbances and if felt, will zip away from the disturbance so as to evade capture. Could the seahorses' head somehow be uniquely designed so as to minimize its hydrodynamic profile so they can effectively sneak up on their prey? The answer is "Yes." High speed footage was used to watch seahorses' stalking and attack postures as they snuck up and "snicked" a copepod out of the water column. As can be seen in the below video, a dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zostrae) easily sneaks up on its copepod prey and sucks it up without the least bit of notice. Follow-up flume experiments confirmed the researchers suspicions. Take a look at how stealty and fast they are in the below video, which shows a dwarf seahorse sneaking up and capturing a copepod: Via Discover Magazine View the full article

Click through to see the images. We'll spare you the gory details. Here's the abridged version of what happened this weekend: We scheduled what was suppose to be a routine software update along with some simple hardware upgrades to enhance performance, but an unreal series of hardware failures forced us to replace our entire hardware, thus causing nearly 72 hours of service interruption. We apologize for the downtime and inconvenience. Our lovely webmaster has brought our existing content back online much quicker than originally estimated (yay!). Some lesser-accessed services may still not fully function at this time. As such, we won't be uploading new articles for the time being until the new server is fully functional and stable, but you should have access to all our magazine and blog articles again. Many new articles are coming soon. It's good to be back! View the full article

Another new week ! Please keep this thread strictly to LFS report and slighting or your post might be removed .

You have to first upload the video to YouTube, then share the link here. Hope to see some photos soon Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Cleaner wrasse will not help to remove ich. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

GO SPS & LPS shipment which arrived yesterday night .

Fish channel Africa shipment.. More photos can be found on their thread as well. Chrysurus angel Super jumbo - Reserved Koran angel(Africa) Medium African flameback Somali butterflyfish Blackback butterflyfish Yellow head butterflyfish Moorish idol Powder blue tang (Sm and Med) Yellow bellied blue tang (Sm and Med) Blue eye anthias ( Male/female) Vanderbilt chromis African leopard wrasses McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus mccoskeri) Exquisite wrasses Midas blenny Radiant wrasses Gold barred wrasses African lionfish Existing stock Achilles tang Xl Blue face angel XL Grey angel (from display tank) Passer angel (L) Yellow tang Atlantic blue tang Flame wrasses last pair(feeding and stable) Flame angel 2 pcs

Marine life shipment arrived yesterday Banded Shark Egg Garden Eel Bluestripe Pipefish Purple Queen Anthias Darkbar Damselfish Springer's Damselfish Goldentail Damselfish Blue-faced Angelfish - small adult Majestic Angelfish Foster's Hawkfish Melanurus Wrasse Green Multicolored Wrasse Filament Flasher Wrasse Wideband Prawn Goby Yellow Watchman Goby Yellow tail fang Blenny Purple Firefish Monster Shrimp Goby Candy Cane Trimma Red-spotted Trimma Blue-stripped Trimma Mandarin Fish Pair Red Scooter Blenny White-faced Surgeonfish Blue Throat Trigger female Porcupinefish Dwarf Cuttlefish Pair Nassa Snail Giant Variable Thorny Oyster Spiny Strombus Conch Fine-striped Snapping Shrimp Cryptocentrus Symbiotic Pistol Shrimp Long-nose Rock Shrimp Clapping Shrimp Bandit Clapping Shrimp Sawblade Shrimp Red Arrow Cleaning Shrimp Bubble Anemone Bubble Anemone - Pink, Red Purple long tentacle Anemone Eye-spot Seacucumber Green Star polyp Red-radiating Seaurchin Short-spined Seaurchin Globular Seaurchin Sand Dollar Blue Linkia Starfish Blue Sea Squirt Blue Mini-Sea Squirt Lollipop Seasquirt Goldmouth Sea Squirt Red Whirl Algae - Amansia glumerata Bulbous Seagrapes - Caulerpa racemosa Serrated Seagrapes - Caulerpa serrulata Segmented Halimeda - Halimeda macroloba Oval-leaf Seagrass - Halophila ovalis Green Sea Salad - Ulva lactuca

Sorry guys, one of us accidentally deleted the last topic on the this week shipment update . Please continue to share your shipment finding here.

Click through to see the images. Photo Credits: CarNewsChina.com The Guangzhou Auto WitStar concept car was premiered at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Look at that bumper! Look at the gull wings! Look at the aquarium rear center console! Now tell me you don't lust for this car. The real story is Guangzhou Auto added the aquarium to demonstrate the safety of their concept car. According to their reasoning, if fish can survive a crash, then so can people. Yup. I can't make this stuff up. The car aquarium is a publicity stunt for passenger safety (which Chinese vehicles are notoriously ridiculed for). Now all this auto maker needs to do is crash their car to prove their point. I think we'd all love to see that video, but please remove the poor fish first. It's not that I don't trust Guangzhou Auto. Okay ... yeah it is. [via Jalopnik] View the full article

Click through to see the images. A day after we published Dana Riddle's extremely in-depth and wonderful scientific article about Clade D coral coloration, we thought a little fun, light reading might be in order. Read more about jjreeftank's "reef aquarium" at reef2reef.com. View the full article

Try using normal air stone instead of running the tank. There is some good read from reef nutrition website ; http://www.reefnutrition.com/tigger_pods_care.php

Click through to see the images. " height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640"> "> "> Recommended supplemental reading: These two clownfish have an amazing history. Read ORA's account of their crazy adventures before the pair finally ended up as successful ORA brood stock. View the full article

Click through to see the images. So, you have shelled out a week's pay for a really nice 'chalice coral' (Echinophyllia spp.) and you're wondering if it will keep its beautiful colors. This article can assist you in your quest and help you understand how lighting and water's physical qualities can affect your new coral. This time, we'll examine those fluorescent proteins found mostly in those stony corals of suborder Faviina (although a number are from Families Lobophyllidae, Euphylliidae, and Agarciidae), with a few being isolated from soft corals and false corals. These stony genera include some of the highly colorful stony corals such as Echinophyllia, Trachyphyllia, Lobophyllia, Favia, Favites, Montastrea, Scolymia, and others. Soft corals include Dendronephthya, Clavularia, and Sarcophyton. The 'false coral' Ricordea are also known to contain this type of fluorescent protein. Altogether, almost 80 coral genera (at least 9 Families) are represented. Research suggests there are no nonfluorescent pigments (chromoproteins) in this group. In this article, we'll compare information from various sources and make educated decisions on how to keep your Clade D corals colorful. I'll use the term 'pigment' from time to time - this is not technically correct, so please allow me some latitude. An example of Clade D fluorescent proteins. Photo courtesy of Jason Fox Signature Corals (jasonfoxsignaturecorals.com). Before beginning, perhaps a review of important terms is in order. Glossary Absorption: The process in which incident radiation is retained without reflection or transmission. Clade: For our purposes in this article, a grouping of pigments based on similar features inherited from a common ancestor. Pigments from corals includes Clades A, B, C, and D. Clades can refer to living organisms as well (clades of Symbiodinium - zooxanthellae - are a good example.) Chromophore: The colorful portion of a pigment molecule. In some cases, chromophore refers to a granular packet containing many pigment molecules. Chromoprotein pigment: A non-fluorescent but colorful pigment. These pigments appear colorful because they reflect light. For example, a chromoprotein with a maximum absorption at 580nm might appear purple because it preferentially reflects blue and red wavelengths. Chromo-Red Pigment: A newly described type of pigment possessing characteristics of both chromoproteins and Ds-Red fluorescent proteins. Peak fluorescence is at 609nm (super red). Cyan Fluorescent Protein (CFP): Blue-green pigments with fluorescent emissions in the range of ~477-500nm. Cyan and green pigments share a similar chromophore structure. Cyan pigments are expressed at lower light levels than green, red or non-fluorescent pigments. Emission: That light which is fluoresced by a fluorescent pigment. Excitation: That light absorbed by a fluorescent pigment. Some of the excitation light is fluoresced or emitted at a less energetic wavelength (color). Fluorescence: Absorption of radiation at one wavelength (or color) and emission at another wavelength (color). Absorption is also called excitation. Fluorescence ends very soon after the excitation source is removed (on the order of ~2-3 nanoseconds: Salih and Cox, 2006). Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP): Fluorescent pigments with emissions of 500-525nm. 'Hula Twist': A bending of a fluorescent protein resulting in a change of apparent color. Molecular bonds are not broken; therefore the pigment can shift back and forth, with movements reminiscent of a hula dancer. Kaede-type pigment: A type of red fluorescent pigment with a characteristic primary emission at ~574-580nm and a secondary (shoulder) emission at ~630nm. Originally found in the stony coral Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, but common in corals of suborder Faviina and others. Quantum Yield: Amount of that energy absorbed and is fluoresced. If 100 photons are absorbed, and 50 are fluoresced, the quantum yield is 0.50. Photobleaching: Some pigments, such as Dronpa, loss fluorescence if exposed to strong light (in this case, initially appearing green and bleaching to a non-fluorescent state when exposed to blue-green light). Photobleaching can obviously cause drastic changes in apparent fluorescence. In cases where multiple pigments are involved, the loss of fluorescence (or energy transfer from a donor pigment to an acceptor pigment) could also result in dramatic shifts in apparent color. Photoconversion: A rearrangement of the chemical structure of a colorful protein by light. Depending upon the protein, photoconversion can increase or decrease fluorescence (in processes called photoactivation and photobleaching, respectively). Photoconversion can break proteins' molecular bonds (as with Kaede and Eos fluorescent pigments) resulting in an irreversible color shift, or the molecule can be 'twisted' by light energy (a 'hula twist') where coloration reversal are possible depending upon the quality or quantity of light available. This process is known as photoswitching). Red Fluorescent Protein (RFP): Those pigments with an emission of ~570nm and above. Includes Ds-Red, Kaede and Chromo-Red pigments. Stokes Shift: The difference in the maximum wavelength of fluorescent pigment excitation light and the maximum wavelength of the fluoresced light (emission). For example, a pigment with an excitation wavelength of 508nm and an emission wavelength of 535nm would have a Stokes Shift of 27nm. Threshold or Coloration Threshold: The point at which pigment production is sufficient to make its fluorescence visually apparent. The term threshold generally refers pigment production, although, in some cases, it could apply to a light level where a pigment disappears (as in the cases of photobleaching, or photoconversion). Types of Fluorescent Proteins There are at least 9 described types of coral fluorescent proteins. Note: Pigment types, such as green or red might not be structurally similar to another green or red pigment in a different clade. These include: Cyan Fluorescent Proteins (CFP) - Cyan pigments are blue-green pigments with a maximum emission of up to ~500 nm. The chromophore structure of a cyan pigment is very similar to that of a green fluorescent pigment. Green Fluorescent Proteins (GFP) - This group, by far, is the most numerous of the fluorescent proteins. The structure of green fluorescent chromophores is very similar to that of cyan fluorescent chromophores. Yellow Fluorescent Proteins (YFP) - An unusual type of fluorescent protein with maximum emission in the yellow portion of the spectrum. Rare in its biological distribution, YFP is found in a zoanthid and some specimens of the stony coral Agaricia. Personally, I've noted yellow fluorescence in a very few stony corals (Porites specimens) here in Hawaii while on night dives using specialized equipment to observe such colorations (see www.nightsea.com for details on this equipment). Orange Fluorescent Protein (OFP) - I've included this protein 'type' in an attempt to avoid confusion. OFP is used to describe a pigment found in stony coral Lobophyllia hemprichii and its name suggests a rather unique sort of protein. In fact, OFP is simply a variant of the Kaede-type fluorescent proteins. Red Fluorescent Proteins (RFP) - A group of proteins including several different subtypes (Kaede, Ds-Red and Chromo-Red). Typically, fluorescent emission is in the range of ~580 nm to slightly over 600 nm. Dronpa - A green fluorescent protein that loses fluorescent when exposed to blue-green light (~490 nm) but returns when irradiated with violet light at ~400 nm. Dronpa is a Clade D protein. Identified (so far) from a coral of Family Pectiniidae. Chromo-Red Proteins - A new classification (Alieva et al., 2008) of a single fluorescent pigment found in the stony coral Echinophyllia. This chromo-red pigment has some qualities of a non-fluorescent chromoprotein, but fluoresces at a maximum of 609 nm. Corals Containing Clade D Fluorescent Proteins As mentioned previously, almost 80 coral genera (at least 9 Families) contain Clade D (or Kaede-type) fluorescent proteins. Figures 1 - 4 (below) list these Genera by Family. Figure 1. Coral taxonomy is in a state of constant flux, but this gives an idea of stony coral genera found in Suborder Faviina. Many of these animals contain Kaede or Clade D fluorescent proteins. Other coral genera contain them as well. Figure 2. Corals other than those found in Suborder Faviina can contain Clade D fluorescent proteins. Figure 3. Family Euphylliidae contains many coral species popular among hobbyists. Some contain fluorescent proteins. Figure 4. Coral genera of Family Agariciidae. These fluorescent proteins are known by two names - the first is 'Kaede-type proteins.' Kaede is Japanese for 'maple leaf' refering to these proteins' ability to transition from green to red color when irradiated with ultraviolet or strong blue light. These proteins are also known as 'Clade D proteins'. Many Kaede-type (or Clade D) fluorescent proteins are easily discernible by their spectral emissions - there is a distinctive secondary shoulder at ~630nm when the fluorescence is in the orange/red portion of the spectrum. See Figure 5. Figure 5. Clade D fluorescent proteins, when fully matured to orange/red, have a secondary emission (a 'shoulder') at ~630nm. 'AU' stands for arbitrary units. Relationship of Clade D Proteins Figure 6 demonstrates the relationship of proteins found in various coral genera. In most cases, the coral species is listed, followed the type of protein (for example, GFP for 'green fluorescent protein', further refined in some cases by the maximum fluorescent emission wavelength (e.g., 520). The scientific shorthand is also listed (e.g., Kaede, Dronpa, mc5, etc.) The listing is also color-coded for easy recognition of maximum fluorescence color. Figure 6. This phylogenetic tree lists Clade D fluorescent proteins, and their relationship to one another. The coral's name is followed by 'type' of protein (CFP, GFP, and RFP) and maximum emission wavelength. In addition, some list the shorthand name used by researchers (such as rfloGFP found in Ricordea florida. Clade D Corals Now that we have the preliminaries out of the way, we can begin a detailed examination of information on Clade D fluorescent proteins. The following information is listed by coral genus in alphabetical order. Agaricia Common Name: Agaricia Order: Scleractinia Family: Agariciidae Agariciacorals are found only in the Atlantic Ocean, and are unlikely to be found in home aquaria. Proteins found in these corals fluorescein the blue-green, green, yellow-green, and yellow portions of the spectrum. Table 1. Agariciafluorescent proteins. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-486 486 * * 426 * * Agaricia sp. P-497 497 527 * * * * Agaricia sp. P-503 503 * * * * * Agaricia fragilis P-508-620 508-620 * * * * * Agaricia agaricites @ 60m P-513 513 545 490 * * * Agaricia sp. P-515 515 * * * * * Agaricia sp. P-542 542 * * * * * Agaricia undata @ 40m P-557 557 600 545 * * * Agaricia sp. P-565 565 * * 490 * * Agaricia humilis Figure 7. This fluorescent protein fluoresces mostly in the blue-green portion of the spectrum. Figure 8. This fluorescent protein from Agaricia glows a green color. Catalaphyllia Common Name: Elegance Coral, Elegant Coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Euphylliidae Catalaphyllia specimens, commonly called Elegance or Wonder Corals, have been a mainstay in the hobby for years. The fleshy portion of the coral is usually fluorescent green, but tentacle tips can be orange. Some green fluorescent proteins in Catalaphyllia mature to red (the photoconvertible proteins described by researchers are likely found only in tentacles' tips). Table 2.Catalaphyllia fluorescent proteins. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-517 517 * * 509 * * Catalaphyllia jardinei P-582 582 * * 573 * * Catalaphyllia jardinei Clavularia Common Name: Clove Polyps Order: Alcyonacea Family: Clavulariidae Only one fluorescent protein has been identified in Clavularia tissues, although there are obviously more. All soft corals' pigments are closely related. Figure 9. The beautiful soft coral Clavularia. Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Table 3. Only one fluorescent protein in the soft coral Clavularia is recognized by science, although there must be many more. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-484 484 * * 456 * * Clavularia sp. Dendronephthya Common Name: Tree coral, Strawberry coral Order: Alcyonacea Family: Nephtheidae It may come as a surprise to many hobbyists, but some Dendronephthya specimens contain zooxanthellae. It is uncertain if Dendronephthya specimens containing fluorescent pigments possess zooxanthellae as well. Green and orange/red fluorescent proteins have been identified in these soft corals, and some have the ability to change from green to red upon exposure to ultraviolet, violet, or blue light. Table 4. Dendronephthya fluorescent proteins. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-508 508 * * 494 * * Dendronephthya P-575 575 * * * * * Dendronephthya P-575 575 * * 557 * * Dendronephthya Figure 10. A green fluorescent protein found in the often non-photosynthetic soft coral Dendronephthya. Echinophyllia Common Name: Chalice corals Order: Scleractinia Family: Lobophylliidae Figure 11. The beautiful 'Watermelon Chalice' (Echinophyllia sp.). Photo courtesy Jason Fox Signature Corals (jasonfoxsignaturecorals.com). Chalice corals are very popular, and for good reason. Their colors can be astounding and, not surprisingly, can be priced accordingly. Only a few fluorescent proteins are recognized in scientific literature, including 3 GFPs, one orange protein and a red one fluorescing at a maximum 0f 609nm. Interestingly, the P-582 protein found in Echinophyllia specimens is identical to another Kaede protein - the 'original' green-to-red transition protein found in Trachyphyllia geoffroyi. It is not unreasonable to assume that ultraviolet radiation and violet/blue light can cause the transition. Coloration of the 'Watermelon chalice' can be explained by the green protein maturing to red. In areas of new growth, the coral would produce a GFP that would mature to red in older growth areas exposed to UV/violet/blue light. It is possible that the yellow 'eyes' in Figure 11 are due to an incomplete maturation where color mixing of green and red appear orange or yellow. Table 5. Echinophyllia ('chalice' corals) fluorescent proteins. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-510 510 * * * * * Echinophyllia echinata P-520 520 * * * * * Echinophyllia echinata P-524 524 * * * * * Echinophyllia echinata P-582 582 * * * * * Echinophyllia echinata P-609 609 * * * * * Echinophyllia Figure 12. The beautiful green fluorescence found in a 'chalice coral.' Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Favia Common Name: Moon Coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Faviidae Figure 13. Beautiful fluorescence of a Favia coral. Photo by the author taken at Barrier Reef Aquariums in Seattle, Washington. Figure 14. This Favia appears to contain proteins fluorescing in the violet portion of the spectrum - but this might be due to color mixing. Courtesy uniquecorals.com. A Favia coral probably holds the record for possessing the most fluorescent colors (over 20, although they were not individually identified). Exposure to ultraviolet, violet, or blue light can cause some of the green proteins to mature to red ones. When color mixing is considered, the number of possible glowing color becomes staggering. Table 6. Fluorescent proteins found in Favia corals. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-477 477 * * 430 * * Favia speciosa P-507 507 536 575 * * * Favia fragum P-508 508 * * 430 * * Favia speciosa P-517 517 * * 507 * * Favia favus P-518 518 * * 430 * * Favia speciosa P-572 572 * * 430 * * Favia speciosa P-582 582 * * 430 * * Favia speciosa P-593 593 * * 583 * * Favia favus Figure 15. This Favia contains 5 fluorescent proteins. Figure 16. A green fluorescent protein found in Favia favus. Figure 17. Beautiful fluorescence! Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Figure 18. A red fluorescent protein in Favia favus. Favites Common Name: War coral, Honeycomb coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Merulinidae Although science has recognized only blue-green and green fluorescence in Favites corals, aquarists know that orange/red fluorescent proteins are found in these corals as well. Table 7. Favites fluorescent proteins. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-478 478 * * * * * Favites heliocora P-498 498 * * * * * Favites heliocora P-500 500 * * * * * Favites heliocora P-520 520 * * * * * Favites abdita Figure 19. Excitation and emission wavelengths become blurred when fluorescence can be absorbed by another pigment. This Favites probably appears green. Galaxea Common Name: Galaxy coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Euphyllidae The highly aggressive coral Galaxea is known to contain several green fluorescent proteins. Table 8. This listing of Galaxea proteins may seem redundant. It is actually compiled from several references and is complete at the time of this writing. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-505 505 * * 492 * * Galaxea fascicularis P-505 505 * * * * * Galaxea fascicularis P-506 506 * * * * * Galaxea fascicularis Figure 20. Excitation and emission of the GFP found in the aggressive stony coral Galaxea. Lobophyllia Common Name: Meat Coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Lobophyllidae Some Lobophyllia hemprichii specimens contain the fluorescent protein known as 'Eos' (the goddess of dawn in Greek mythology). Eos is photo-activatible, and irreversibly transitions from green (emission at 516nm) to orange/red (581nm) when exposed to ultraviolet/violet light. Figure 21. The 'meat coral' Lobophyllia. Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Figure 22. An interesting mix of green and orange fluorescence in a Lobophyllia specimen. Photo by the author. Table 9. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-483 483 * * 572 454 510 Lobophyllia hemprichii (red) P-515 515 * * * * * Lobophyllia hemprichii (red) P-516 516 * * * * * Lobophyllia hemprichii P-517 517 Lobophyllia hemprichii P-519 519 * * * * * Lobophyllia hemprichii (red) P-574 574 543 Lobophyllia hemprichii (red) P-580 580 * * * * * Lobophyllia hemprichii (red) P-581 581 * * * * * Lobophyllia hemprichii (red) Figure 23. A green fluorescent protein found in the 'meat coral' Lobophyllia. Figure 24. A GFP found in Lobophyllia hemprichii (at a pH of 7.0). Figure 25. The orange/red fluorescence of P-581 shows the distinctive shoulder of Kaede proteins at ~630nm. Montastraea Common Name: Boulder coral, Mountainous Star coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Montastraeidae A recent revision to coral taxonomy has renamed Montastraea faveolata as Orbicella faveolata. Whatever the coral genus, the fluorescent proteins found in Montastraea species appear to be closely related. Figure 26. A red Montastraea specimen. Photo courtesy of Jake Adams. Although corals of the genus Montastraea are found in the Atlantic and Pacific, only Atlantic species have been examined for fluorescent proteins. It is not unreasonable, in my opinion, to expect Pacific Montastraea species to contain similar, if not identical, fluorescent proteins. Table 10. Fluorescent proteins found in genera Montastraea / Orbicella. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-480 480 * * * * * Montastraea annularis P-484 484 499 * * * * Montastraea annularis P-486 486 * * * * * Montastraea annularis P-503 503 479 578 * * * Montastraea annularis P-510 510 479 * * * * Montastraea annularis P-515 515 * * 505 * * Montastraea annularis P-517 517 551 483 * * * Montastraea annularis P-518 518 575 * * * * Montastraea annularis P-486 486 * * 440 * * Montastraea cavernosa P-505 505 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa P-510 510 * * 440 * * Montastraea cavernosa P-510-520 510-520 * * 440 * * Montastraea cavernosa P-514 514 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa P-517 517 * * 504 * * Montastraea cavernosa P-519 519 * * ~505 * * Montastraea cavernosa P-575 575 ~630 * ~525 ~570 * Montastraea cavernosa P-516 516 * * 506 ~480 * Montastraea cavernosa (=mc2/3/4 - see P-515) P-582 582 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (G1_1) P-518 518 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (G1_2) P-518 518 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (g4) P-495 495 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (G5_1) P-495 495 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (G5_2) P-582 582 630 * 508 572 * Montastraea cavernosa (mc1) P-515 515±3 * * 505±3 * * Montastraea cavernosa (mc2/3/4) P-495 495 * * 435 * * Montastraea cavernosa (mc5) P-507 507 * * 495 * * Montastraea cavernosa (mc6) P-580 580 520 * 508 572 * Montastraea cavernosa (mcavRFP) P-582 582 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (R1_2) P-522 522 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (r2) P-495 495 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa (R5) P-510-623 510-623 * * * * * Montastraea cavernosa @ 40m P-534 534 593 * * * * Montastraea cavernosa @ 60m P-486 486 * * 440 * * Montastraea faveolata P-510-520 510-520 * * 440 * * Montastraea faveolata P-515 515 * * * * * Montastraea faveolata P-582 582 * * 571 * * Montastrea cavernosa Figure 27. Montastrea cavernosa is an Atlantic coral species and not likely to be seen in hobbyists' aquariums. Figure 28. A GFP found in the Atlantic coral M. cavernosa. Figure 29. The spectral characteristics of this pigment suggest the transition of green to red is not complete. Figure 30. The transition from green to red is mostly complete in this Montastraea. Figure 31. A green fluorescent protein from M. cavernosa. Figure 32. One of many GFPs found in Montastraea species from the Atlantic. Mycedium Common Name: Peacock coral, Plate coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Pectiniidae At least one coral in Family Pectiniidae contains the fluorescent protein known as Dronpa (a disappearing Ninja according to folklore). This green fluorescent protein photo-bleaches when exposed to blue-green light (~490nm). Upon exposure to violet light (~400nm), the green fluorescence returns. Since many lamps generate both wavelengths, it is uncertain how broad spectrum light affects coloration in aquarium corals. Figure 33. The Pacific stony coral, Mycedium. Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Table 11. Mycedium Kaede proteins. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-485 485 * * * * * Mycedium elephantotus P-579 579 * * * * * Mycedium elephantotus Platygyra Common Name: Brain coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Faviidae Table 12. Science recognizes only one GFP from Platygyra - there are surely more. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-514 514 * * * * * Platygyra lamellina Plesiastrea Common Name: Pineapple brain coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Scleractinia incertae sedis (rough translation: 'scleractinia family uncertain') Figure 34. A colorful Plesiastrea. Photo courtesy of Adrian Baddeley; Arkive.org. I find it ironic that a system based on order is in a state of constant chaos, where coral families are re-sorted according to the latest information. In any case, if Plesiastrea's Scleractinian Family is in doubt, it seems certain that the fluorescent protein found in these corals falls into Clade D. Quite a few fluorescent proteins have been identified in Plesiastrea corals including CFP's, GFP's, yellow-green proteins, in addition to orange and super-reds. Table 13. A listing of fluorescent proteins found in Great Barrier Reef Plesiastrea specimens. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-472 472 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-473 473 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-473 473 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-477 477 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue) P-479 479 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-479 479 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-482 482 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue) P-485 485 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-485 485 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-488 488 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-489 489 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-489 489 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-492 492 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue) P-495 495 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-495 495 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-497 497 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-497 497 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-501 501 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-503 503 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-505 505 * * 492 * * Plesiastrea verispora P-508 508 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-511 511 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-512 512 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-512 512 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-515 515 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-515 515 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-518 518 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-540 540 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-540 540 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-574 574 550 * * * * Plesiastrea verispora P-580 580 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-580 580 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) P-620 620 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (blue morph) P-620 620 * * * * * Plesiastrea verispora (green morph) Figure 34. Blue-green light is fluoresced as green light in this Plesiastrea. Figure 35.Green-yellow light is absorbed by this Plesiastrea, and is most strongly fluoresced in the orange portion of the spectrum. Ricordea Common Name: False coral, Hairy Mushroom coral Order: Corallimorpharia Family: Ricordeidae Ricordeaspecies have a number of devotees and for good reasons - their ease of maintenance and beautiful colorations make them excellent candidates for reef aquaria. Scientists have shown aquarists that fluorescent proteins within these corals can transition from green to orange/red. It is supposed that blue light causes this transformation. Figure 36. A gorgeous Ricordea specimen. Courtesy Reef Wholesale. Table 14. Ricordea fluorescent proteins. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-510 510 * * * * * Ricordea florida P-513 513 * * * * * Ricordea florida P-515 515 * * * * * Ricordea sp. P-517 517 574 * 506 566 * Ricordea florida P-517 517 * * 506 * * Ricordea florida P-518 518 * * 508 475 * Ricordea florida P-518 518 * * * * * Ricordea florida P-518 518 * * * * * Ricordea florida P-520 520 * * * * * Ricordea florida P-573 573 510 * * * * Ricordea florida P-574 574 517 * 506 566 * Ricordea florida P-576 576 * * * * * Ricordea florida P-587-590 587-590 * * * * * Ricordea florida (mouth) Sarcophyton Common Name: Leather coral, Toadstool coral Order: Alcyonacea Family: Alcyoniidae Sarcophytoncorals have been a mainstay of the hobby for many years. They are easy to maintain in captivity and, in good water flow, offer a dynamic sense to an aquarium otherwise full of rigid, stony corals. In addition, their green fluorescence adds beauty to any reef aquarium. Figure 37. The soft coral Sarcophyton. Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Table 15. Only one GFP is officially recognized as being from the soft coral Sarcophyton. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-500 500 * * * * * Sarcophyton sp. Scolymia Common Name: Button coral, Doughnut coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Mussidae Colorful Scolymia specimens are popular - and often expensive. Their fluorescent proteins range in coloration from blue-green to orange-red. Some consider specimens in this genus to be a bit touchy in captivity if they are not fed regularly. Figure 38. This Scolymia appears to contain at least 3 fluorescent proteins. Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Table 16. Apparent colors of some Scolymia specimens range from green-blue to orange-red. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-483 483 511 * * * * Scolymia sp. P-483 483 511 576 * * * Scolymia sp. P-484 484 512 * * * * Scolymia sp. P-484 484 512 576 * * * Scolymia sp. P-506 506 * * 497 * * Scolymia cubensis 1 P-506 506 * * 497 * * Scolymia cubensis 2 P-515 515 * * * * * Scolymia sp. P-575 575 630 * 520 * * Scolymia sp. P-578 578 * * * * * Scolymia cubensis Figure 39. Notice how closely this fluorescent protein's spectral signature resembles that in Figure 40. Figure 40. Are Figures 39 and 40 the same protein? Figure 41. The violet/purple coloration in this Scolymia may be a mix of red and green fluorescence. Courtesy uniquecorals.com. Figure 42. This Scolymia shows the fluorescence emission typical of Clade D proteins. Trachyphyllia Common Name: Open Brain Coral Order: Scleractinia Family: Trachyphylliidae The Family Trachyphylliidae is composed of one genus - Trachyphyllia. It was from this coral that the Kaede group of fluorescent proteins was originally described. 'Kaede' is Japanese for 'maple leaf', referring to its green to red transition when exposed to ultraviolet, violet, or blue light. Note that the intermediate transition from green to red can produce yellow or orange intermediates. Figure 43. The 'original' Kaede protein found in Trachyphyllia geoffroyi. Photo Courtesy of uniquecorals.com. Table 17. The green fluorescent protein (FP-518) transitions to a protein fluorescing red (at 582nm) upon exposure to ultraviolet, violet, or blue light. A number of intermediate colors (such as yellow) are possible due to color mixing. Pigment Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-518 518 * * * * * Trachyphyllia geoffroyi P-582 582 * * 558 * * Trachyphyllia geoffroyi Figure 44. This protein from Trachyphyllia begins as a green fluorescent protein but changes to reddish-orange under ultraviolet radiation or violet/blue light. Figure 45. Absorption spectra of the Kaede protein transitioning from green to red. Fluorescent Proteins Likely to Belong to Clade D, but Unconfirmed Based strictly on genera, these corals probably contain Clade D fluorescent proteins and may act similarly to others in the group. Genus: Colpophyllia Family: Mussidae Table 18. A Colpophyllia fluorescent protein. Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: 515 * * * * * Colpophyllia natans Genus: Diploria Family: Mussidae Table 19. Diploria fluorescent proteins. Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-486 486 * ~448 * * Diploria labyrinthiformis P-517 517 575 * * * Diploria strigosa Genus: Hydnophora Family: Merulinidae Table 20. A Hydnophora fluorescent protein. Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-492 492 * * 443 * Hydnophora grandis Genus: Manicina Family: Mussidae Table 21. A Manicina fluorescent protein. Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-487 487 515 475 * * Manicina areolata Genus: Mycetophyllia Family: Mussidae Table 22. Mycetophyllia fluorescent proteins. Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P-515 515 * * * * Mycetophyllia lamarckiana P-515 515 * * ~494 * Mycetophyllia sp. Genus: Leptoseris Family: Agariciidae Mikhail Matz (one of the world's leading experts on coral fluorescence) argues that this protein was isolated from this deep-water specimen through not use of water but a polar solvent instead. This fact suggests the protein may be different from all others. Table 23. The mysterious fluorescent protein found in Leptoseris. Emission 2 3 Excitation 2 3 Found in: P446(?) 446 * * 380 * Leptoseris fragilis Genus: Pavona Family: Agariciidae The only fluorescent protein identified so far from Pavona fluoresces in the green portion of the spectrum. However, some Pavona specimens are fluorescent orange. Is this an example of photoconversion from green to orange? Figure 46. A Hawaiian Pavona specimen. Photo by the author. Figure 47. The GFP found in Pavona varians. Effects of pH pH is known to affect the absorption and fluorescent characteristics of some proteins. These changes tend to be slight, but it is not unreasonable to believe (supported by anecdotal evidence) that large swings in apparent color could be caused by extreme pH modulations (caused by an overdose of carbon dioxide or kalkwasser). See Figures 48 and 49. Figure 48. The 'normal' characteristics of P-516. Figure 49. Compare the characteristics of this P-516 exposed to low pH (7.0) to that in Figure 48. Figure 50. Note that yellow-green light excites the red fluorescence in this Lobophyllia coral. Note also the low pH - this affects the absorption and emission of the protein. Discussion Proteins of Clade D are found in over 80 coral genera (at least 9 families). Evidence suggests many are photo-convertible by ultraviolet radiation and violet/blue light (although blue LEDs - producing practically no ultraviolet radiation and little violet light) are known to induce expression and maintain coloration in many corals.) Table 24. Conversion of green fluorescent proteins to the Kaede type orange/red pigments has been observed when the animal is exposed to Ultraviolet-A radiation (UV-A), and violet/blue wavelengths. Care should be taken when experimenting with dosages of UV-A in attempts to promote coloration. Most plastic 'splash guards' are transparent to at least some UV-A wavelengths and it is usually not necessary to deliberately increase UV-A levels in order to induce production of pigments. With this said, there is some anecdotal information (based on my personal observations) that color of at least some pigments might increase in at least some coral species when UV radiation is slightly increased. From To Host Clade/Pigment Activator P-505 508/572 Montastraea cavernosa D ? - But most likely blue light P-505 506/566 Ricordea florida D ? - But most likely blue light P-508 575 Dendronephthya sp. D Blue Light @ 488nm P-508 575 Dendronephthya sp. D UV-A at 366nm ~516 582 Montastraea cavernosa D Depth- light -related? P-516 581 Lobophyllia hemprichii D UV @ 390nm/Violet Light ~400nm P-517 574 Ricordea florida D UV/Violet Light P-517 580 Montastraea annularis D UV/Violet Light P-517 593 Favia favus D UV & Violet (350-420nm) P-518 582 Trachyphyllia geoffroyi D UV - Violet Light (350-410nm) P-519 580 Montastraea cavernosa D UV - Violet Light However, many blue-green and green fluorescent proteins are present in conditions of low light, suggesting their presence is not related to light intensity (or perhaps generated in conditions of very low light). To confound matters, at least one colorful protein (Dronpa) is known to photo-bleach when exposed to blue-green light at 490nm, but the fluorescence returns if exposed to blue light. Fortunately (for aquarists), researchers have found that Dronpa is not closely related to many other Clade D proteins (see Figure 6). pH Schreiner et al. (2011) report the red fluorescence of the Eos protein (from Lobophyllia sp.) decreases when exposed to an acidic pH (<7.0), while the green fluorescent emission is unaffected (this in contrast to others' observations). Apparently, some GFPs are affected by pH while others are not. When looking at the fluorescent protein phylogenetic tree, we see the red Eos protein is clustered with several other red fluorescent proteins, including those from Trachyphyllia, Catalaphyllia, Mycedium, Echinophyllia, and Scolymia. We might expect the red fluorescence of these pigments to be affected similarly by low pH. An acidic pH would be an unusual condition within a reef aquarium, but it is possible, perhaps as a result of an overdose of carbon dioxide through use of a calcium reactor or similar device. On the other hand, a high pH (caused by an overdose of kalkwasser) might affect apparent coloration as well. To summarize, light (particularly violet and/or blue) seems to be the environmental trigger for inducing the production of fluorescent proteins (ultraviolet light can, in many cases, also cause their production. However, the use of LEDs and their almost total lack of UV production strongly suggest UV is not necessary.) Another factor - pH - is known to slightly alter the fluorescent emission of these 'pigments'. Many Clade D proteins' fluorescent emissions change as the protein ages (assuming the exposure to violet/blue light continues. This is seen dramatically in the 'watermelon chalice' as the green margin edges matures and turns red). The transition from green to red is responsible for an almost unlimited number of intermediate colors. However, recall that many Clade D proteins do not make a transition from green to red. Many of the Clade D proteins cloned for use in biomedical research are stable at higher (human body temperatures) suggesting they are relatively unaffected by temperature modulations. Our understanding of coral fluorescent proteins is due largely to experiments conducted in the biomedical fields and we have come a long way since corals' colors were attributed to photopigments such as peridinin (erroneously thought at one time to lend a brick-red color to corals). However, early observations that corals tended up to 'color up' when exposed to blue light have been proven to be essentially correct. With the recent revelation that is possible to provide at least as much (or in some circumstances, more) blue light than corals could expect to 'see' in nature, further experiments can proceed in examining the effects of altered spectra on coral photosynthesis and expression of coloration (see here for details: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/11/aafeature ). Acknowledgements Taxa are classified according to World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) www.marinespecies.org and are correct as of early October 2013. Any errors are mine. Many thanks to Joe Caparatta at Unique Corals (www.uniquecorals.com) for supplying many of the photographs. References Scheiner, L., M. Huber-Lang, M. Weiss, H. Hohmann, M. Schmolz, and E. Schneider, 2011. Phagocytosis and digestion of pH-sensitive dye (Eos-FP) transfected E. coli in whole blood assays from patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. J. Cell. Commun. Signal, 5(2):135-144. View the full article

There is no fool proof food but you can try different types of foods like flakes, frozen mysis or different brands of pallets. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Click through to see the images. The Raleigh Aquarium Society Presents the 29th Carolina Aquarium Workshop! When: Feb. 14-16, 2014 Where: NC Fairgrounds James Martin Bldg 1025 Blue Ridge Rd Raleigh, NC 27607 Field trip, Speakers, Banquet, Auction - info at: http://raleighaquariumsociety.org/workshop/index.html Friday, Feb. 14: - Field Trip, Meet & Greet Saturday, Feb. 15: - Freshwater Programs, Banquet Sunday, Feb. 16: - Huge Auction- Fish, Plants, etc. Register at http://www.mygroupauctions.com. Registration: $25.00. Speakers: Eric Bodrock Nick Klase Gary Lange Ray “Kingfish” Lucas Richard Pierce Richard Rego Contact either Chris Smith at 919-698-2828 or Todd Wenzel at 919-791-7352 or email raleighaquariumsociety@yahoo.com View the full article

Click through to see the images. From the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Safety in Numbers? Not so for corals. Traditionally, it was assumed that corals do not face a risk of extinction unless they become very rare or have a very restricted range. A team of scientists from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has revealed that global changes in climate and ocean chemistry affect corals whether scare or abundant, and often it is the dominant, abundant corals with wide distributions that are affected the most. The researchers evaluated both the geologic record of past extinctions and recent major events to assess the characteristics of dominant corals under various conditions. They determined that during periods advantageous to coral growth, natural selection favors corals with traits that make them more vulnerable to climate change. The last 10 thousand years have been especially beneficial for corals. Acropora species, such as table coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral, were favored in competition due to their rapid growth. This advantageous rapid growth may have been attained in part by neglecting investment in few defenses against predation, hurricanes, or warm seawater. Acropora species have porous skeletons, extra thin tissue, and low concentrations of carbon and nitrogen in their tissues. The abundant corals have taken an easy road to living a rich and dominating life during the present interglacial period, but the payback comes when the climate becomes less hospitable. Researchers from the UHM School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST); the National Marine Fisheries Service (Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center); NOAA National Ocean Service; and NOAA Coral Reef Watch propose that the conditions driven by excess carbon dioxide in the ocean cause mortality at rates that are independent of coral abundance. This density-independent mortality and physiological stress affects reproductive success and leads to the decline of corals. Some coral species are abundant across a broad geographic range, but the new findings show that this does not safeguard them against global threats, including changing ocean chemistry and rising temperatures. Nearly all the assessments and evaluations of the risk of extinction for a species of coral are made on the basis of how scarce or restricted in range it is. However, the new findings highlight the vulnerability of abundant and widely dispersed corals as well as corals that are rare and/or have restricted ranges. Moving forward, the authors hope to strengthen the case for directly addressing the global problems related to coral conservation. Though it is good to handle local problems, the authors stress, the handling of all the local problems will not be sufficient. Journal Reference: Charles Birkeland, Margaret W. Miller, Gregory A. Piniak, C. Mark Eakin, Mariska Weijerman, Paul Mcelhany, Matthew Dunlap, and Russell E. Brainard. Safety in Numbers? Abundance May Not Safeguard Corals from Increasing Carbon Dioxide. BioScience, November 2013 View the full article