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Category Archives: Science
HQI versus LED
Comparison of HQI and LED lighting systems on Coral Growth Lighting systems and absorption spectra Lighting is crucial to life and calcification of corals. It allows the photosynthesis by symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae). This involves the use of a set of molecules including photosynthetic pigments like chlorophyll a …
Disease, immunity and Coral bleaching
Olivier Detournay, an immunologist who recently joined Coral Biome, is working closely with the team of Virginia Weis at the Oregon State University (OSU) and the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), addressing fundamental questions on the symbiotic relationship between zooxanthellae and corals. “Unity is strength”. This proverb is probably …
Palythoa grandis: cautions required!
Palytoxins are back under the spotlight! Coral Biome breeds in its facility some potentially toxic zoanthids. To get the bottom of it, we carried out a study based upon the same protocol described by Jonathan Deeds and his colleagues in the “Plos One” journal in 2011, a publication previously discussed on …
Fossil reef
What’s more surprising than a short walk on a coral reef near… Marseilles! This incredible situation is indeed possible because of the main feature of hard corals: a carbonate skeleton that fossilizes easily. Some of us probably know the little port of Carry-le-Rouet, located about thirty kilometers from Marseilles (France). …
The “Naked coral” hypothesis
Today, it is well known that the anthropogenic rise in atmospheric CO2 is changing not only the climate but also the chemistry of the world’s oceans. First, global warming is causing massive coral bleaching. But a rise in coral disease by undermining their ability to build reefs is also produced …
To be or not To be
DNA evidence suggests that the genera Palythoa and Protopalythoa are actually all members of a single genus. The taxonomic status of the Zoanthid genera Palythoa and Protopalythoa has been under question by biologists for almost a century. Previous morphological and histological studies have separated these two genera on the …
Palytoxin. Danger!
Recently, Jonathan Deeds and his collaborators published a very interesting study about one of our favourite animals in the open access journal ‘Plos One’. They reported the case of a zoanthid colony from a home aquarium which was responsible for a severe respiratory reaction due to palytoxin when a hobbyist …
Fluorescence
Why not a new post about the fluorescent proteins? An interesting topic after the discovery of the Super Coral, a green fluorescent hybrid belonging to Acropora which is a rare feature for species belonging to this genus in Caribbean Sea. Corals are highly appreciated from hobbyist for their vivid coloration, …
Super Coral !
During one of his excursions through Miami’s inner city waterways our good friend Colin Foord, who is half of Coral Morphologic team with Jared Mc Kay, did an incredible discovery: a coral belonging to the genus Acropora that is extremely rare in South Florida shores. This isolated colony is growing in …
‘Sea urchin riding shrimp’
Gnathophyllum elegans on Arbacia lixula (collected in Balear Islands, Ibiza).
