Studies on reef corals. I. Skeleton formation by newly settled planula larva of Pocillopora damicornis

Vandermeulen, J. H.; Watabe, Norimitsu

doi:10.1007/bf00394111

Cited by 77 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…In a study of the early calcification stages that occur after settlement of Pocillopora damicornis larvae, Vandermeulen and Watabe (1973) observed that early mineralization occurs on the whole outside surface of the basal ectoderm of the young polyps. The resulting subcircular mineral plate is made of nanograins, and 36 hours after larval settlement the mineralizing surface is reduced to radiating lines that build the embryonic septa.…”

Section: Patterns Of Coral Biomineralization From Overall Scale To Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The resulting subcircular mineral plate is made of nanograins, and 36 hours after larval settlement the mineralizing surface is reduced to radiating lines that build the embryonic septa. These very early septa are made only of ''small crystals or granules'' (Vandermeulen and Watabe, 1973). Then, a second mineralizing process is developed on both sides of the growing granular septa, reinforcing this initial framework.…”

Section: Patterns Of Coral Biomineralization From Overall Scale To Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This second step produces fibres. According to Vandermeulen and Watabe (1973), the first indication of this additional fibrous skeleton occurs 72 hours after larval settlement.…”

Section: Patterns Of Coral Biomineralization From Overall Scale To Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation of geochemical signals in coral skeletons: Environmental changes or biological processes?

Watanabe

Reynaud

Cuif

et al. 2006

Paleontological Research

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Abstract. Corals are widely distributed throughout a long stretch of geological time and can provide highresolution histories of climatic variabilities in the tropics, which play a key role in understanding the Earth's climate system. Geochemical approaches to corals have been widely used for reconstructing palaeoclimates because the geochemistry of the skeleton is believed to vary as a function of several environmental conditions. However, large variations that cannot be ascribed to a single environmental factor have been observed among and/or within calibrations of coral-based proxies. Two main unsolved factors could lead to these large discrepancies: unexpected environmental changes in reefs and unknown biological processes occurring at coral biomineralization sites. In this review, we show the recent progress in dealing with this question by application of coral culture technique and micro analytical methods to skeletal geochemistry in corals and discuss on how the degree of geochemical variation could be affected by environmental changes and how by biological processes during the skeleton's calcification. The next challenge will be to perform high-resolution analysis on cultured corals growing under controlled and/or constant environmental conditions. Such efforts hold the promise of yielding important new insights into the various biomineralization processes that may affect the chemical and isotopic composition of the skeletons, with the goal of understanding how environmental changes express themselves in geochemical variability.

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Section: Patterns Of Coral Biomineralization From Overall Scale To Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Patterns Of Coral Biomineralization From Overall Scale To Nmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation of geochemical signals in coral skeletons: Environmental changes or biological processes?

Watanabe

Reynaud

Cuif

et al. 2006

Paleontological Research

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“…Coral reefs consist of various coral deposits, among which Porites is one of main genera involved in the formation of coral reefs [3]. The skeleton of natural coral (Porites) consists mainly of calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite which can be doped with other cations such as Mg, Sr, Ba, U and the organic matrix [4][5][6]. As is well known, coral skeleton is composed of biogenic aragonite/calcite which forms a layered structure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vibrational spectroscopic characterization of growth bands in Porites coral from South China Sea

Song

Ayoko

et al. 2013

Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectros

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“…After settling, the aboral epidermis is attached to the substrate and begins skeleton formation. The first calcareous elements after settling are circular platelets and rod-shaped granules, which can also vary in Mg and Ca content and aggregate to form the primary septa, followed by the formation of the basal disk [6,7]. …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking the Early Events of Mineral Formation during Coral Development

Akiva¹,

Neder

Mass

2016

Microsc Microanal

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In the tropical and subtropical oceans, corals provide a literal and figurative ecological framework that retains nutrients, supports high rates of primary production, and permits extensive biological diversity. These fragile ecosystems are threatened with extinction in the coming century, in part due to the acidification of the ocean [1][2]. The change in the acidity of the ocean may affect the coral skeleton formation, which is composed of calcium carbonate mineral. Elucidating the mechanism of calcium carbonate mineral formation in corals may help us to understand how environmental changes affect the process of coral biomineralization. Although various aspects of biomineralization in corals have been studied for decades, mostly on adult corals, the basic mechanism responsible for the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite remains enigmatic [reviewed by 3].Corals have a biphasic life cycle with planktonic larval stages and benthic adults. These two phases are separated by settlement and metamorphosis, which are critical stages in coral development during which planulae undergo intense changes in morphology, building of new tissues, initiation of calcium carbonate precipitation, and in some cases uptake of symbionts. The planktonic free-swimming planulae deposit minerals almost immediately after settlement [4]. This suggests that immature mineral phases (presumably amorphous calcium carbonate -ACC) is present in pre-settled planulae.To elucidate the key mechanism that facilitates the initial, rapid calcification in the early stages of the coral development, we correlate cryo-scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with cryo-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and cryo-fluorescence techniques on coral planulae frozen samples [5]. Using this approach and thus, avoiding the process of chemical fixation, dehydration and chemical staining with heavy metals, each planula is rapidly frozen at high pressure. As a result, the water is vitrified while keeping the sample as close as possible to its native state. We observed freeze-fractured surfaces of the sample using the cryo-SEM with both secondary electron and backscattered electron (BSE) detectors. The elements that are present in the mineralized regions are detected by EDS under cryogenic conditions. The cryo-fluorescence platform helps to identify auto-fluorescent symbionts and to detect mineralized regions in the developing planula via calcein blue staining.Our results show that first mineral deposition in corals already starts at the pre-settlement (Fig. 1). Immature minerals can vary in shape, Mg content and crystallinity. After settling, the aboral epidermis is attached to the substrate and begins skeleton formation. The first calcareous elements after settling are circular platelets and rod-shaped granules, which can also vary in Mg and Ca content and aggregate to form the primary septa, followed by the formation of the basal disk [6,7].

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Studies on reef corals. I. Skeleton formation by newly settled planula larva of Pocillopora damicornis

Cited by 77 publications

References 12 publications

Variation of geochemical signals in coral skeletons: Environmental changes or biological processes?

Variation of geochemical signals in coral skeletons: Environmental changes or biological processes?

Vibrational spectroscopic characterization of growth bands in Porites coral from South China Sea

Tracking the Early Events of Mineral Formation during Coral Development

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