Post by LSDeep on May 19, 2006 9:51:54 GMT -5
The Yomiuri Shimbun
TOKYO - In an effort to help coral grow in reefs amid rising water temperatures, researchers are using ceramic plates to provide a safe haven for fertilized coral eggs.
The project is being conducted in Sekiseishoko, Japan's largest coral reef, by a group of researchers at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.
The 105-square-mile coral reef, which lies between Ishigakijima and Iriomotejima islands, is home to up to 360 kinds of coral - comparable to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. But warmer seas in recent years damaged and destroyed the delicate organisms in many parts of Sekiseishoko.
In recent days, researchers placed piles of ceramic plates shaped like spinning tops fixed to metallic frames about five meters below the surface in the northern part of Sekiseishoko.
Coral release a large amount of fertilized eggs, but most are carried away by the current, and the eggs cannot be implanted on surfaces covered with dirt or algae.
The researchers hope the 0.7-ounce, 1.6-inch-wide plates will attract the floating eggs and provide a clean, safe habitat for them to develop into coral.
The team has been developing the method in Sekiseishoko since 2002 as a way to cultivate coral without damaging it. Previously, researchers broke off parts of the coral and transplanted them to damaged areas to revive the reef.
About 1 1/2 months after spawning, the plates housing fertilized eggs will be moved to a central spot in the reef where the coral has been more severely damaged.
www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/world/14611762.htm
TOKYO - In an effort to help coral grow in reefs amid rising water temperatures, researchers are using ceramic plates to provide a safe haven for fertilized coral eggs.
The project is being conducted in Sekiseishoko, Japan's largest coral reef, by a group of researchers at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.
The 105-square-mile coral reef, which lies between Ishigakijima and Iriomotejima islands, is home to up to 360 kinds of coral - comparable to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. But warmer seas in recent years damaged and destroyed the delicate organisms in many parts of Sekiseishoko.
In recent days, researchers placed piles of ceramic plates shaped like spinning tops fixed to metallic frames about five meters below the surface in the northern part of Sekiseishoko.
Coral release a large amount of fertilized eggs, but most are carried away by the current, and the eggs cannot be implanted on surfaces covered with dirt or algae.
The researchers hope the 0.7-ounce, 1.6-inch-wide plates will attract the floating eggs and provide a clean, safe habitat for them to develop into coral.
The team has been developing the method in Sekiseishoko since 2002 as a way to cultivate coral without damaging it. Previously, researchers broke off parts of the coral and transplanted them to damaged areas to revive the reef.
About 1 1/2 months after spawning, the plates housing fertilized eggs will be moved to a central spot in the reef where the coral has been more severely damaged.
www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/world/14611762.htm