Joint study on symbiotic systems on coral reefs

本项目的目的是研究珊瑚礁藻类-无脊椎动物共生系统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。研究了虫黄藻从母体组织向卵母细胞垂直传播的时机和机制。我们还描述了在这些珊瑚的发育过程中，虫黄藻是如何局限于胃真皮细胞的。我们分析了与珊瑚相关的虫黄藻的系统发育与不同的共生体获取方式。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取虫黄藻。我们分析了不同共生体获取方式下与珊瑚相关的虫黄藻的系统发育。这一结果表明，即使是垂直传播的共生体的珊瑚也可以从外部获取虫黄藻。在共生的海鞘中，幼虫有一个特殊的器官从父母那里获取藻类。因此，氯磷可能在海鞘生理中起着重要作用。然而，氯氯存在于海鞘的外表面，这表明它们在营养方面的作用可能是很小的。卡内奥赫湾的达米科罗拉短冠藻群并没有藏有特拉皮蟹，尽管TEY接受了实验上提供的斜颈蟹。这表明这一地区没有螃蟹的补充是由于海流的原因，或者其他生物干扰了珊瑚和斜角蟹之间的联系。从实验和理论上研究了夏威夷珊瑚的克隆密度如何影响其有性繁殖的能量分配。

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.