Flower Garden Banks spawning
Gregory Boland
Gregory.Boland at mms.gov
Fri Aug 21 15:51:52 UTC 1998
New Information from field observations at Flower Garden Banks, Gulf=
=
of Mexico: Research cruise on M/V Fling: 8/14-8/18, 1998, sponsored =
by =
NOAA, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and Oceanographi=
c =
Expeditions. =
(These reports are compiled from observations of a number of people)=
=
Coral Spawning:
=
Night of August 15, 7th night after the Aug. 7 full moon (all times =
as =
CDT):
=
20:50: First observations of sparse egg bundles at surface, probabl=
y =
Diploria strigosa.
=
21:05-22:45 Very substantial spawning slick on surface (rough =
estimate 10,000-15,000 egg bundles/sq m).
=
21:21: First confirmed observations of D. strigosa spawning on =
bottom.
=
21:37-21:48 Extensive spawn by D. strigosa.
=
21:37-22:10 Extensive spawn by Montastrea franksi.
=
22:00 One male M. cavernosa.
=
22:10-22:45 Diminishing releases by M. franksi, nothing seen after =
22:45.
=
23:45-00:05 Extensive releases by M. faveolata and male and =
female Stephanocoenia michilini ( males first then adjacent female =
response).
=
Night of August 16, 8th night after:
=
20:24 First observations of sparse egg bundles at surface, probabl=
y =
Diploria strigosa.
=
21:05-23:00 Substantial spawning slick on surface (rough estimate =
6,000 egg bundles/sq m)
=
21:40-22:15 Numerous D. strigosa spawning throughout period.
=
22:15-21:48 Extensive spawn by D. strigosa.
=
22:15-22:30 Limited M. franksi spawn.
=
23:10-23:54 S. michilini, male and female.
=
23:45 Single head of M. faveolata release.
=
Night of August 17, 9th night after:
=
20:55-21:15 Several heads of Colpophylia natans releasing.
=
21:03 One head of male M. cavernosa releasing.
=
Night of August 18, 10th night after:
=
20:55-21:15 Numerous heads of Colpophylia natans releasing (more th=
an =
previous night).
=
Bleaching:
=
Contrary to recent predictions concerning the Flower Gardens, there =
was very little evidence of bleaching at the East or West Flower =
Garden Banks as late as August 18. Water temperature was nearly =
uniform at 86=B0 F throughout the water column to a depth of 30 m.
=
In contrast, the firecoral (Millepora alcicornis) at Stetson bank, n=
ow =
part of the FGBNMS, was heavily bleached; nearly total bleaching of =
at =
least 75% of existing cover which comprises about 20% of the total =
substrate. (In the past, esssentially 100% of this bleaching =
recovers)
=
New Species Record at Flower Garden Banks:
=
A new taxa was encountered at the East Flower Garden Bank during a =
night dive by Greg and Gloria Boland. At a depth of 65 ft we observ=
ed =
what appeared to be an antipatharian coral, never previously reporte=
d =
to my knowledge. In fact, there have never been any soft corals or =
antipatharians of any kind documented on the coral reef (wire corals=
, =
Cirrhipathes, are common at depths below 200 ft) . The colony was a=
=
cluster of stiff branches originating from a stalk attached to the =
underside of a coral head out of sight. The color was an orange- re=
d =
or rusty brown. The morphology very closely resembles Antipathes =
gracilis. Photographs were taken and will be used to confirm =
identification. A sample was not obtained at the time due to the a =
lack of a collection permit.
=
=
Report by:
=
Greg Boland
Biological Oceanographer
Minerals Management Service
=
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