Joint study on symbiotic systems on coral reefs

本项目的目的是研究珊瑚礁上藻类-无脊椎动物共生体的建立机制和共生系统的多样性。此外，我们还研究了珊瑚的繁殖策略，探讨了垂直传播的共生体将虫黄藻毒素从母体组织传递到卵母细胞的时间和机制。我们还描述了虫黄藻在这些珊瑚的发育过程中如何被限制在胃胚层细胞中。我们分析了与珊瑚共生体获得不同模式相关的虫黄藻的发生。结果表明，即使是垂直传播的共生体的珊瑚可以从外部获取虫黄藻。我们分析了与珊瑚共生的不同模式的共生体获取虫黄藻的繁殖。结果表明，即使是具有垂直传播共生体的珊瑚也可以从外部获得虫黄藻。在具有共生prochloron的群体海鞘中，幼虫有一个特殊的器官，用于从父母那里获得藻类。因此，丙氯隆可能在海鞘生理中发挥重要作用。然而，在海鞘的外表面上存在着丙氯隆，这表明它们的营养作用可能很小。卡内奥赫湾的Pocilloppora damicornis群体并没有栖息Trapzia蟹，尽管它们接受了实验提供的Trapzia蟹。这表明，该地区的蟹类没有补充，可能是由于水流的影响，或者是其他生物干扰了珊瑚和梯形蟹之间的联系。本文从实验和理论上研究了夏威夷珊瑚（Montipora verrucosa）的克隆密度如何影响其对有性生殖的能量分配。

The objective of this project was to study the mechanism of establishment of algal-invertebrate symbioses and diversity of the symbiotic systems on coral reefs. In addition we studied reproductive strategy of corals.The timing and mechanism of transmission of zooxanthellae from maternal tissue to oocytes m corals writ verticaUy transmitted symbionts were studied. We also described how zooxanthellae became restricted to gastrodermal cells during development of these corals.We analyzed phylogeny of zooxanthellae associated with corals with different modes of symbiont acquisition. The result suggests that even corals with vertically transmitted symbionts can acquire zooxanthellae from outside.We analyzed phylogeny of zooxanthellae associated with corals with different modes of symbiont acquisition. The result suggests that even corals with vertically transmitted symbionts can acquire zooxanthellae from outside.In colonial ascidians that have symbiotic prochloron, larvae had a special organ for acquisition of algae from their parent. Thus prochloron might play important function in ascidian physiology. However, prochloron resides on outer surface of the ascidians, sugesting that their role in nutrition might be smallColonies of Pocillopora damicornis in Kaneohe Bay did not harbor Trapzia crabs, though tey accepted experimentally provided Trapezia crabs. This suggests the possibility that there is no recruitment of the crabs in this area due to rurrent conitions or that other organisms interfere the association between the coral and Trapezia crabs.How clonal density of a Hawaiian coral, Montipora verrucosa affects its energy allocation to sexual reproduction was studied experimentally and theoretically.