| Popis: |
Sexual reproduction pattern and spawning event of scleractinian coral are correlated to the species, geography, monsoon, local and regional oceanographic condition. There were differences in time of coral reproduction between those in lower and higher latitudes due to environmental factors. This study was aimed to determine reproduction pattern and environmental cues of coral reproduction in the Central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and the Indonesian Reefs. This study used direct gonadal observation method in the nature, gonadal histology, spawning observation in the nature and the laboratory. Results of this study revealed that various coral species in Indonesia were mature and spawn along the year. The environmental condition for spawning event of the small polyp corals were different from those bigger polyps.However, in respect to small polyp corals like Acropora spp that spawn during wet season of January, February, and March. Whereas, larger polyp corals Euphyllia glabrescen, Euphyllia ancora, Heliofungia actiniformis and Catalaphyllia jardiney spawned during dry season of August, September, October and November. In the Central GBR, the spawning period of corals occurred during summer especially during November and December every year. Multispecific spawning in Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia occurred at 0-2 NAFM (night after full moon) at 6-7 pm of local time when the water was high and the temperature was 30.3 oC. Otherwise, the coral mass spawning in GBR took place at 7-9 pm at 3-5 NAFM in the low tides while the temperature was 27 oC. Spermonde Archipelago waters have less environmental variability, so that coral spawning event extends for several months and occurred during different lunar phases compared to the Great Barrier Reef that have synchronous mass spawning. |
