Author:
Shikina Shinya,Lin Tzu-Chieh,Chu Yu-Ling,Cheng Yin-Chu,Chang Yu-En,Wada Naohisa,Tang Sen-Lin,Iizuka Yoshiyuki,Chiu Yi-Ling
Abstract
Development and maintenance of coral reef ecosystems rely on daily micro-biological activities of healthy corals. Although a comprehensive understanding of coral biological properties, as well as factors negatively affecting coral growth, are essential to conserve existing corals, the current lack of a tractable culture and experimental platform has delayed acquisition of such knowledge. Here we show a highly versatile culture system, “coral-on-a-laboratory dish” (CLD), allowing long-term culturing of various corals in plastic/glass Petri dishes with maintenance of their biological properties. Under optimized conditions, coral microcolonies (~5 mm x 5 mm fragments) of Pocillopora damicornis were cultured for several months in dishes with high survivorship and characteristic growth. These microcolonies maintained their biological properties, such as reproduction, skeleton formation, coral-algal symbiosis, ingestion, and digestion. Thus far, CLD has been used to maintain at least 4 other coral species from 4 other families, including the Acroporidae, the Pocilloporidae, the Poritidae, and the Merulinidae for more than 2 months with 100% survivorship. CLD is applicable to a variety of biophysiological studies, including coral-algal symbiosis and impact assessment of marine pollutants, e.g., a sunscreen substance, oxybenzone, and an organic biocide, Irgarol 1051, at cellular-level resolution. The CLD platform, which allows easy and inexpensive coral maintenance in a laboratory incubator, represents a technological breakthrough that will greatly advance coral studies.
Funder
Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan
Subject
Ocean Engineering,Water Science and Technology,Aquatic Science,Global and Planetary Change,Oceanography
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献