A prelimimary study of intracolonial material integration in reef corals

• Main Authors: Tasi, Chun Chun, 蔡淳淳
• Other Authors: Soong, Keryea
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1995
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/57075836142058314325

碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 海洋生物研究所 === 83 === The extent of intracolonial integration in massive hermatypic corals was investigated by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. The δ13C of coral tissues were higher than zooxanthellae. Moreover, positive correlations between coral tissues and zooxanthellae in δ13C were significant. These results suggest that a major portion of organic carbon in coral tissue was contributed by zooxanthellae. By using Tubastrea aurea , an azooxanthellate coral, as control, it is estimated that more than 80% of carbon of zooxanthellate corals in this study were contributed by their symbiotic algae. Contrary to δ13C, no positive correlation in δ15N was found between coral tissues their zooxanthellae; this phenomenon suggests that coral and zooxanthella may have relatively independent nitrogen sources. The δ13C of coral tissues and zooxanthellae were higher on the top of the colonies than on the side. After several analysis comparing values in " paste " colonies which isolate parts of the colonies, the hypothesis of environmental effect was supported as an explanation of the difference in δ13 C between different parts (top vs side) of a colony. Different rates of photosynthesis caused by various light intensities on top and side of colonies is a likely explanation for δ13C variation within a colony. No consistent difference was found in δ15N between top and side of colonies.