Short-term growth of octocorals Swiftia exserta and Muricea pendula in a mesocosm

Lange, Kassidy; Etnoyer, Peter

doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1390702

i

Short-term growth of octocorals Swiftia exserta and Muricea pendula in a mesocosm

2024
By Lange, Kassidy ; Etnoyer, Peter

Details

Journal Title:

Frontiers in Marine Science
Personal Author:

Lange, Kassidy ; Etnoyer, Peter
NOAA Program & Office:

CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System) ; NOS (National Ocean Service) ; NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science)
Description:

To optimize fragmentation approaches for restoration applications, this study assessed fragmentation size influences on health and growth rates of mesophotic octocorals. Growth rates for Swiftia exserta (n=6) and Muricea pendula (n=9) were determined using photogrammetry in a mesocosm over a 90-day trial. No significant difference was found in growth between fragmented size classes (3, 6, and 12 cm) (S. exserta p=0.156, M. pendula p=0.393). There was a significant difference (p=0.013) in growth rates between species, with faster annual growth (mean ± SE) for S. exserta (1.490 ± 0.399 cm/year) than for M. pendula (0.550 ± 0.228 cm/year). Fragments from healthy source colonies remained healthy, while fragments from an unhealthy colony experienced tissue loss. Healthy colonies may successfully be used for fragmentation in laboratory propagation, though optimal fragment size for restoration remains debatable. Use of laboratory-based propagation techniques to recover injured species may require better understanding of factors influencing growth.
Keywords:

Aquatic Science Global And Planetary Change Ocean Engineering Oceanography Water Science And Technology Global And Planetary Change Water Science And Technology Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill Global And Planetary Change Mesophotic And Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) Water Science And Technology
Source:

Frontiers in Marine Science, 11
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1390702
ISSN:

2296-7745
Format:

PDF
Publisher:

Frontiers Media SA
Document Type:

Journal Article
License:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Rights Information:

CC BY
Compliance:

Submitted
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:4931bff1bab16a4a0aa40f7edde940223915350c6077a7ee43a5d6a5c1d1de244a5fe1dc5594637b719ca5aea25344d289fab8f17e4269794242c8410d10daf7
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/60774/noaa_60774_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 700.47 KB ]

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