Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:18:38 +1100
From: Peter Harrison <pharriso@scu.edu.au>
Subject: [Coral-List] New global coral reproduction review available
To: Coral-List <coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
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Colleagues,

the following global coral reproduction review chapter has recently
been published in Dubinsky and Stambler’s book:

Harrison, P.L. (2011). Sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals.
In: Z. Dubinsky and N. Stambler (Editors), Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem
in Transition Part 3, 59-85,
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-0114-4_6 Springer Publishers.

This new review presents a synthesis of current global knowledge of
coral reproduction and updates aspects of the earlier major review by
Harrison, P.L. and Wallace, C.C. (1990), with particular emphasis on
new data and molecular perspectives that have emerged during the past
two decades.

Some key points that may be of interest:
Information on sexual reproduction is now available for 444
scleractinian coral species (almost double the number of species
compared with the 230 species whose reproductive characteristics had
been studied by the late 1980s).

The global data confirm many of the trends noted previously: the
great majority of species that have been studied are hermaphroditic
broadcast spawers (64.5%) with fewer gonochoric spawners (19.5%) and
relatively few hermaphroditic brooders or gonochoric brooders
recorded. However, there are a number of species for which mixed
sexual patterns/sex change and/or both brooding and spawning modes of
development have been recorded hence these sexual patterns and modes
of development are not simple binary characteristics for all
scleractinian corals.

Biogeographical patterns are even more complex: multispecific
spawning has been recorded in many reef regions, but the scale of
spawning and degree of reproductive synchrony within and among
populations of different species forms a continuum from largely
asynchronous patterns through to highly synchronised mass spawning
events.

If you want to know more please contact me,

cheers, Peter

—
Professor Peter Harrison, PhD
Director of Marine Studies SCU
Director, Marine Ecology Research Centre
Research Leader, Coral Reef and Whale Research Teams
Marine Science and Management Course Coordinator
School of Environmental Science and Management
Southern Cross University, PO Box 157
Lismore NSW 2480 AUSTRALIA
Patron, Banyan Tree Marine Labs, Maldives
SCU Phone: 0266 203774 Fax: 0266 212669
Mobile: 0407456249
E-mail: peter.harrison@scu.edu.au
International Phone: 61 266 203774 International Fax: 61 266 212669