Zooplankton feeding by corals underestimated

Research by marine biologists from Wageningen University has shown that feeding on zooplankton by scleractinian corals has been greatly underestimated.

Octocorals found to be reef builders

Scientists from Taiwan and Israel have found that octocorals are important reef builders. This exciting discovery makes us rethink the very nature of coral reefs.

Flatworms compete with corals for zooplankton

Epizoic coral flatworms have been found to compete with their coral host for zooplankton. This finding is in agreement with the theory that symbiotic coral flatworms are parasitic.

Small polyps do capture zooplankton

Small polyped stony corals are often believed to simply rely on strong lighting and dissolved nutrients. But even these corals capture significant amounts of plankton.

Genetics

Written by Tim Wijgerde

Understanding coral genetics, that is the science which deals with studying coral genes and their functions, has important implications. Understanding coral bleaching, growth and the genes which regulate these processes help us to understand nature.

Genetics can also be used for diagnosing coral reef health, infere relationships between coral colonies and for understanding why animals such as corals can regenerate all of their tissues after inflicted damage. This last fact may be very important as corals are now being used to study stem cells for future therapeutic purposes.

Learn about coral genes in this section!

RokAjaxSearch

Zooplankton feeding by corals underestimated

Octocorals found to be reef builders

Flatworms compete with corals for zooplankton

Small polyps do capture zooplankton