Life cycle of the cold-water coral Caryophyllia huinayensis.

Little is known about the biology of cold-water corals (CWCs), let alone the reproduction and early life stages of these important deep-sea foundation species. Through a three-year aquarium experiment, we described the reproductive mode, larval release periodicity, planktonic stage, larval histology, metamorphosis and post-larval development of the solitary scleractinian CWC Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) huinayensis collected in Comau Fjord, Chilean Patagonia. We found that C.

Shallow-emerged coral may warn of deep-sea coral response to thermal stress.

In the Gulf of Alaska, commercially harvested fish species utilize habitats dominated by red tree corals (Primnoa pacifica) for shelter, feeding, and nurseries, but recent studies hint that environmental conditions may be interrupting the reproductive lifecycle of the corals. The North Pacific has experienced persistent and extreme thermal variability in recent years and this pattern is predicted to continue in coming decades. Recent discovery of deep-water emerged coral populations in Southeast Alaska fjords provided opportunity for detailed life-history studies and comparison to corals in managed habitats on the continental shelf.

Deep coral habitats of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GBNPP) in Southeast Alaska is a system of glaciated fjords with a unique and recent history of deglaciation. As such, it can serve as a natural laboratory for studying patterns of distribution in marine communities with proximity to glacial influence. In order to examine the changes in fjord-based coral communities, underwater photo-quadrats were collected during multipurpose dives with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in March of 2016.

The effects of in-vitro pH decrease on the gametogenesis of the red tree coral, Primnoa pacifica.

Primnoa pacifica is the most ecologically important coral species in the North Pacific Ocean and provides important habitat for commercially important fish and invertebrates. Ocean acidification (OA) is more rapidly increasing in high-latitude seas because anthropogenic CO2 uptake is greater in these regions. This is due to the solubility of CO2 in cold water and the reduced buffering capacity and low alkalinity of colder waters.

Comparison of microbiomes of cold-water corals Primnoa pacifica and Primnoa resedaeformis, with possible link between microbiome composition and host genotype.

Cold-water corals provide critical habitats for a multitude of marine species, but are understudied relative to tropical corals. Primnoa pacifica is a cold-water coral prevalent throughout Alaskan waters, while another species in the genus, Primnoa resedaeformis, is widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean. This study examined the V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene after amplifying and pyrosequencing bacterial DNA from samples of these species.

Sexual reproduction and seasonality of the Alaskan red tree coral, Primnoa pacifica.

The red tree coral Primnoa pacifica is an important habitat forming octocoral in North Pacific waters. Given the prominence of this species in shelf and upper slope areas of the Gulf of Alaska where fishing disturbance can be high, it may be able to sustain healthy populations through adaptive reproductive processes. This study was designed to test this hypothesis, examining reproductive mode, seasonality and fecundity in both undamaged and simulated damaged colonies over the course of 16 months using a deepwater-emerged population in Tracy Arm Fjord.

Sedimentation and the reproductive biology of the Hawaiian reef-building coral Montipora capitata.

Environmental conditions can influence the physiology of marine organisms and have important implications for their reproductive performance and capacity to supply new recruits. This study examined the seasonal reproductive patterns of the coral Montipora capitata in habitats exposed to different sedimentation regimes. Although M.

Cold-water coral distributions in the drake passage area from towed camera observations--initial interpretations.

Seamounts are unique deep-sea features that create habitats thought to have high levels of endemic fauna, productive fisheries and benthic communities vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts. Many seamounts are isolated features, occurring in the high seas, where access is limited and thus biological data scarce. There are numerous seamounts within the Drake Passage (Southern Ocean), yet high winds, frequent storms and strong currents make seafloor sampling particularly difficult.