Effects of polluted seawater on gametogenesis and fecundity of the Scleractinian coral Tubastraea coccinea in Yin-Yang Bay northeastern Taiwan

• Main Authors: Lin, Chien-Yu, 林芊妤
• Other Authors: Hwang, Jiang-Shiou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/79mx8y

碩士 === 國立臺灣海洋大學 === 海洋生物研究所 === 103 === Correlation between pollution and coral sexual reproduction have been studied in many laboratorial experiments which focused on fertilization success rate, metamorphosis rate, recruitment success rate and early embryonic development. However, few numbers of field studies have revealed the effects of pollution on the gametogenesis of coral. In the present study, we investigated the fecundity of Tubastraea coccinea collected at Yin-Yang Bay (YYB) and Chao-Jin Bay (CJ). YYB is located at the coast of northern Taiwan, due to terrestrial runoff and geological composition, this area has received excessive metal pollution. Chao-Jin Bay (CJ) is approach to YYB, nevertheless, the hydrological condition is relatively stable. Samples were collected from April 2013 to August 2013, and their histological statements were examined. We did not find any spermary during the experimental period. The oocyte size in YYB was significantly larger than in CJ (YYB mean size of oocyte：129.19±115.69 μm, n=6960；CJ mean size of oocyte：122.18±79.07 μm, n=4684； p＜0.05, Student's t-test；YYB mean size of IV oocyte：475.03±109.41 μm, n=514；CJ mean size of IV oocyte：445.17±125.7 μm, n=136). Number of oocytes at YYB was higher than in CJ. However, both Student's t-test and Two-Way ANOVA showed no significant difference between these two sites (YYB mean number of oocytes polyp-1：154.67±246.77, n=6960；CJ mean number of oocytes polyp-1：104.09±143.85, n=4684；YYB mean number of IV oocytes polyp-1：11.4±15.74, n=514；CJ mean number of IV oocytes polyp-1：3±5.43, n=136). The size of oocyte at YYB was lower than at CJ, but the fecundity of oocyte at YYB was higher than at CJ. And similar to the previous literatures, we confirmed that the polyp size is positively correlated to the fecundity in both two sites. Our findings suggest that T. coccinea has well developed certain survival model in the polluted environment of YYB, and we infer that T. coccinea invested more energy in reproduction rather than in growth in YYB.