Egg size and fecundity of biannually spawning corals at Scott Reef.

Egg size and fecundity are often used as proxies for coral reproductive success and health. The amount of energy a coral invests in reproduction reflects its environmental conditions during gametogenesis. Additionally, assuming resources for reproduction are limited, it is thought that an increase in egg size should result in a decrease in the number of eggs produced i.

Integrated evidence reveals a new species in the ancient blue coral genus Heliopora (Octocorallia).

Maintaining the accretion potential and three dimensional structure of coral reefs is a priority but reef-building scleractinian corals are highly threatened and retreating. Hence future reefs are predicted to be dominated by non-constructional taxa. Since the Late Triassic however, other non-scleractinian anthozoans such as Heliopora have contributed to tropical and subtropical reef-building.

Split spawning realigns coral reproduction with optimal environmental windows.

Split spawning in coral populations occurs when gamete maturation and mass spawning are split over two consecutive months. While split spawning has been observed at many reefs, little is known about the frequency and significance of these events. Here we show that split spawning occurred frequently and predictably over a decade at Scott Reef.

Ocean acidification causes structural deformities in juvenile coral skeletons.

Rising atmospheric CO2 is causing the oceans to both warm and acidify, which could reduce the calcification rates of corals globally. Successful coral recruitment and high rates of juvenile calcification are critical to the replenishment and ultimate viability of coral reef ecosystems. Although elevated Pco2 (partial pressure of CO2) has been shown to reduce the skeletal weight of coral recruits, the structural changes caused by acidification during initial skeletal deposition are unknown.