Coral "Spawning"?

[fireguy]

Ok - time to ask all the experts -
I was planning a night dive for the 20th of November, to coincide with the full moon. One of the people mentioned that it might be a bit more spectacular than planned, as they believed that was one of the two times a year the coral "spawned". So can you help this newbee? Is it a line or fact. They were talking about doing this dive a few years ago at the Great Barrier Reef. Claimed they ended up in pink soup, with some injuries caused by small fish bites on all exposed skin areas. So - am I getting a line of bull**** or is this real. And if real - how do you predict this?

 

[Dee]

I don't know what area you're talking about but here in the Gulf of Mexico, at the Flower Gardens, the coral spawns on the 9th night after the first full moon in August.

So it may not be a line of bull at all.

 

[Natasha]

Dee is right. When we were in Bonaire they had an expert that worked at the dive shop, on Coral Spawning. She said it happens days before, during and after the full moon, down there.
She said this is so accurate that you can even advertise a trip down there as " Sex on the Reef" without it being misleading.
Ha! Hey can I say sex now?

 

[Dee]

The coral spawning is so reliable that trips to the Flower Gardens for that week is booked from year to year by the researchers and others determined to see it. As with any sexual activity, there are those individual corals who go off either early or late so if you can't get a boat out on THE night, you have a 7-10 day window to catch at least part of the action!

I've seen sponges spawning during most of the summer months. Gues they aren't interested in the 'group thing'!

 

[scorpionfish]

Hi, Fireguy!

Coral polyps can reproduce both asexually and sexually. In the latter case, sperm are released into the water, move about the reef, and are "swallowed" by other polyps in order to fertilize eggs. Having been fertilized, the eggs are then released and become part of the "soup of the sea", plankton. I believe this is what you were referring to when you used the term, "spawning".

There are different timings for different corals for this release, but some do, indeed, coincide with lunar cycles or other seasonal changes. I am not familiar with the area you mentioned, but have seen such releases in the Pacific and they are quite dramatic. The water gets very cloudy and plankton-eating species have a field day. None-the-less, the sufficient coral larvae survive to go on to create new colonies!

Scorpionfish

 

[Texass]

The Flower Gardens Dee was talking about is a weird sort of reef. It's a hard coral reef about 100 miles off the coast on a salt dome.

NOAA books spots on the charter boats each year for it. The summer I went they actually had 2 spawnings. Jim, the NOAA guy, said they try to grow the eggs they harvest at the aquarium in New Orleans. So far they haven't been able to keep the aquarium reef alive more than about 6 months, but it's still a relatively new project.

If you get the chance to see it, you ought to go. It's pretty spectacular. None of the pics or videos I've seen do it justice.

 

[Governor]

fireguy once bubbled...
Ok - time to ask all the experts -
I was planning a night dive for the 20th of November, to coincide with the full moon. One of the people mentioned that it might be a bit more spectacular than planned, as they believed that was one of the two times a year the coral "spawned". So can you help this newbee? Is it a line or fact. They were talking about doing this dive a few years ago at the Great Barrier Reef. Claimed they ended up in pink soup, with some injuries caused by small fish bites on all exposed skin areas. So - am I getting a line of bull**** or is this real. And if real - how do you predict this?

I am not an expert but couple of years ago when I have been snorkelling on Great Barrier Reef (daytime) I have found myself swimming in a pinkish “soup” of a spawning coral. The experience didn’t last very long and although there was minor increase in fish activity while the current pushed the spawning “cloud” over the reef I didn’t experience any unpleasant sensations and certainly didn’t suffer any bites on my exposed skin. It is only reasonable to assume that creatures that feed on coral eggs are unlikely to be dangerous to humans.

 

[scuba_katt]

To be amongst the spawning coral is a (reasonably) rare opportunity.

If you have the chance to be out there for it don't pass it up! It will be amazing - I've seen docos on spawning on the GBR (where I do about 80% of my dives) and I'm yet to time it right so that I'm there to see it myself.

Texass is right about the marine scientists booking all the charter boats full - this is an orgasmic moment for them/us!!!

and also, any "fish bites" you've heard about would be random, accidental and totally insignificant - admittedly the adult fish will attempt to feed on the coral spawn, however, i'd find it unlikely if they were to accidentally mistake any part of yourself for a teeny tiny egg/sperm !! Watch out for the fish with a cane and a guide dog I s'pose!

Cheers