Corals, damsels, and sea stars

First off, I am amazed at the ability of corals of the same species to spawn all at the same time. For animals with no brains, they never cease to amaze me in their behavior and lifestyles. As I read more about corals in my Marine Ecology class, I understand the importance of their relationship with their symbiotic algae, the zooxanthellae. Their coexistence is important in all aspects of both organisms, from nutrition, to protection, down to just plain appearance.  They really are connected creatures.

Damsels becoming more and more some of my favorite fish. from the way they aggregate to their colors and colonizations around reefs. I remember listening to a research presentation by Dr. Fuiman about mortality of damsel fish on patch reefs. The goal of his research was to determine which behavioral traits determine the survival and mortality after settlement of coral reef fish. His hypothesis focused on how escape performance of fish determines the survival of newly settled reef fish. In the end, the swimming behavior and the boldness of the fish determined their survival. I found all of it quite interesting and never thought about the behavior of such small fish, nevertheless how bold they were. 

With our essays in the works, I've decided to focus mine on the sea star, A. planci, or as we know them, the decimating crown of thorns starfish. Their abundance and negative effects on coral reefs is just horrible. I knew urchins could destroy entire kelp forests, but at least they have more predators. A. planci, with few predators past the larval stage, are much more nuisance than community neighbor. But more on their effects to come!