Donor Colonies Research Articles

REGENERACION DE COLONIAS Y TRANSPLANTE DE FRAGMENTOS DE ACROPORA PALMATA (CNIDARIA: SCLERACTINIA) EN EL PARQUE NACIONAL NATURAL CORALES DEL ROSARIO, CARIBE COLOMBIANO

The present study was done in order to study the posibility of recovering the coral species Acropora palmata in the Natural Park Corales del Rosario. The percentage of regeneration of 42 mechanically fragmented colonies, as well as the percentage of survival of 53 fragments of this species, was determined. The regeneration of tissue for 25 colonies fragmented between September and december 1992 {period 1) was obtained in three months; for the 17 colonies fragmented between march and may 1993 (period 2) the time was of two months. The fragments obtained from the donor colonies were submitted to 4 treatments. Treatment 1 consisted in tying the fragments with a cord to dead coral and transported to Kalua Island. For treatment 2 the fragments were put on sandy substrate and were tyed to a pole in Grande Island. In treatment 3 the fragments were tyed to dead coral by a cord and were transported to Grande Island. For treatment 4, the fragments were cemented to dead coral with the epoxic "Rally" cement. Treatment 1 showed a survival of 30% in 3 months and of 0% for the rest of the research. In treatment 2 the survival was of 0% on the first month. In treatment 3, the survival was of 40% in 3 months and 0% was found in the seventh month. In treatment 4, the survival was of 90% in the first month, 80% in two months and 70% in three months. The results obtained show that the donor colonies of the studied specie recovers rapidly to physical wounds and that the use of the technique with epoxic cement on the fragments for the recovery of the specie is recommended.

Optimizing the productivity of a coral nursery focused on staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis

The rapid decline of the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis throughout the Carib- bean prompted the development of coral gardening as a management strategy to restore wild stocks. Given that coral gardening relies on propagating corals collected from wild donor colonies, it is imperative to optimize growth within a nursery to reduce dependence on wild collections. This study determined the maximum amount of coral that may be clipped from a colony during propagation without causing mortality or decreased growth. We applied 3 experimental treat- ments to 12 nursery-reared staghorn corals, in which 25, 50, or 75% of the colony's total biomass was removed and fragmented to create additional, smaller fragments. Four additional colonies served as unfragmented controls. Treatment had no effect on colony productivity, defined as the ratio of new tissue growth to initial colony size, over 87 d. Similarly, treatment had no effect on the rate at which colonies developed new branches. Results indicate that 75% of the biomass of staghorn colonies may be removed without affecting their growth. We anticipate that our obser- vations will have practical applications for maximizing propagation of staghorn coral within nurs- eries throughout the wider Caribbean while minimizing the impact of this management measure on remnant wild populations.

An economic and ecological consideration of commercial coral transplantation to restore the marine ecosystem in Okinawa, Japan

The deterioration of coral reefs in Japan is a serious environmental problem. Conventional conservation policies for terrestrial ecosystems are sometimes difficult to apply to coral reef protection because of the large number of stakeholders involved. In what seems to be an interesting attempt to solve this problem, tourist divers in Okinawa, Japan have begun to transplant coral fragments onto deteriorated coral reefs, by participating in a tour provided by diving shops. However, the problem here is that when the transplanted fragments have been taken out from the natural coral colonies, it tends to cause a host of potential problems such as decreasing fecundity of donor colonies, negative effects on the surrounding environment of the exploited corals and low species diversity of transplanted fragments. In this paper, we examine the merits of commercial coral transplantation in marine ecosystem conservation, and to suggest some reforms that could help to mitigate the problems encountered when using sexually propagated coral transplants. Finally, we discuss how the commercial transplantation in Okinawa could be applied to the conservation of other marine ecosystem.

Influence of electrical fields on the performance of Acropora coral transplants on two different designs of structures

A method for reef rehabilitation is based on mineral accretion using an electrical field to stimulate the growth and survival of transplanted coral fragments. The present study aimed to examine the impacts of exposure to an electrical field on fragments of two transplanted Acropora species. Two independently performed experimental set-ups were used to assess fragment survival and linear skeletal extension under varying electrical currents and in direct versus indirect contact to electrically charged substrate. Survival rates of transplants for A. yongei and A. pulchra were high in some treatments, but showed significantly lower survival when exposed to a high amperage, or when transplanted close to the bottom. Maximum skeletal extensions of transplants were observed in elevated controls of A. yongei (7.5±0.4 mm/month versus donor colony: 5.8±0.7 mm/month) and for A. pulchra fragments subjected to 1.67 A/m2 (6.2±0.3 mm/month versus donor colony: 8.6±0.6 mm/month). The lowest extension rates were found for A. pulchra on unelevated control boards (1.2±0.2 mm/month). At the same time, treatments exceeding current strengths of 1.67 A/m2 led to significantly smaller extension rates in both Acropora species. While a direct contact with the charged metal had a significant negative effect on growth and survival of A. yongei fragments, A. pulchra demonstrated a general tendency to smaller extension rates when exposed to an electrical current. Overall, lower extension rates of fragments indicated that A. pulchra was generally more sensitive to transplantation. Previous reports of significantly increased growth rates due to electrical stimulation could not be supported for the species examined.

How many donor colonies should be cross-fertilized for nursery farming of sexually propagated corals?

Coral reef restoration approaches have often utilized adult colonies as sources for fragments (i.e. clones) to be transplanted. Although restoration through this method is fast and cheap, it has been pointed out that it may reduce genetic diversity of the restored population. Low genetic diversity is a concern for reef restoration when seed fragments are raised asexually from only a few donor colonies. This can lead to lower fertilization rates among seed fragments, and reducing the longterm benefits of reef restoration in particular areas. Additionally, low genetic diversity can compound the effects of increased ocean temperature and other environmental stressors, further jeopardizing the health of a reef. An alternative approach through sexually propagated coral cultures and out-plantings can alleviate this problem. Sexually produced offsprings are more genetically diverse. They can be produced in far greater numbers than coral fragments and do not imply destructive methods. Ongoing research at the Akajima Marine Science Laboratory in Okinawa, Japan has helped to improve the production and maintenance of sexually propagated larval cultures. Our results show that crosses between gametes from 6 or more colonies will provide the highest fertilization rate (>95%). Based on the results, we suggest the use of 6 or more donor colonies for practical gamete fertilization in sexually derived coral culture.

Production of coral colonies for outplanting using a unique rearing method of donor colonies at Onna Village, Okinawa, Japan

Production of coral colonies for outplanting using a unique rearing method of donor colonies at Onna Village, Okinawa, Japan

Artificial Cultivation of Hermatypic Corals on Experimental Frame on the Reefs of Vietnam

In 2003-2005 and 2010-2011, experimental commercial cultivation of 14 species of hermatypic corals was carried out using the method of donor colony fragmentation. The transplants successfully survived on experimental frame installations. The coral colonies that were recovered from the fragments became attached to the frame installations in a similar way to their attachment on natural substrata. The research has established species-specific factors and others affecting regeneration of fragments and growth of new colonies in these coral species. The accretion of donor fragments and new branches averaged from 40 to 160 mm per year, depending on the coral species, colony size, and season of transplantation. An average monthly accretion of medium and larger transplants and growth of new branches were 1.2-1.3 times higher at spring cultivation than at autumn transplanting. When transplanted, coral fragments of medium and larger sizes survived well and showed higher growth rates in all species studied. After 1-1.5 year, the size of the transplants was found to have increased by 220-275%. The newly formed artificial coral community was colonized by the damselfish Dascyllus reticulates (Pomacentridae).

Can Coral Cover be Restored in the Absence of Natural Recruitment and Reef Recovery?

AbstractWith many coral reef areas being degraded whether by anthropogenic or natural causes, a search is on for resilient species of corals that can restore coral cover where needed, if coral reefs are to continue to provide adequate ecosystem services. A series of experiments were undertaken in two sites with different environmental attributes and substrates in a lagoonal area in the northwestern Philippines to test the potentials of a local species, Porites cylindrica, for reef rehabilitation. With the use of asexual fragmentation of donor colonies, different treatments were tested, particularly to determine if the species would survive on different substrates, that is, solid, massive versus digitate/anastomosing, dead colonies. The results after nearly 2 years of the experiment were extraordinarily successful, with survival of transplants ranging from a high of 98% to a low of 80% of colonies, resulting in extensive coral cover on both original and new or different substrate from the original. A subsequent observation after another 16 months showed the coral cover to have been complete or nearly complete in the experimental plots, with the transplanted colonies fusing, and with evident reef fish communities where there were none before. Had there been no intervention, it is highly likely that the reefs would have remained in a degraded state.

Experimental artificial cultivation of corals from colony fragments

In 2010–2011, experimental commercial cultivation of 14 species of hermatypic corals was carried out using the method of donor colony fragmentation. The transplants successfully survived on experimental frame installations. The coral colonies that were recovered from the fragments became attached to the frame installations in a similar way to their attachment on natural substrata. After 1 year, the size of the trans-plants was found to have increased by 275%. The newly formed artificial coral community was colonized by the damselfish Dascyllus reticulates (Pomacentridae); the species is a common coral fish species that lives on natural reefs.

Donor and Recipient Cell Surface Colony Stimulating Factor-1 Promote Neointimal Formation in Transplant-Associated Arteriosclerosis

Transplant-associated arteriosclerosis manifests as progressive vascular neointimal expansion throughout the arterial system of allografted solid organs, and eventually compromises graft perfusion and function. Allografts placed in colony stimulating factor (CSF)-1-deficient osteopetrotic (Csf1(op)/Csf1(op)) mice develop very little neointima, a finding attributed to impaired recipient macrophage function. We examined how CSF-1 affects neointima-derived vascular smooth muscle cells, tested the significance of CSF-1 expressed in donor tissue, and evaluated the contribution of secreted versus cell surface CSF-1 isoforms in transplant-associated arteriosclerosis. CSF-1 activated specific signaling pathways to promote migration, survival, and proliferation of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. Tumor necrosis factor-α addition increased CSF-1 and CSF-1 receptor expression, and tumor necrosis factor-α-driven proliferation was blocked by anti-CSF-1 antibody. In a mouse vascular allograft model, lack of recipient or donor CSF-1 impaired neointima formation; the latter suggests local CSF-1 function within the allograft. Moreover, reconstitution of donor or recipient cell surface CSF-1, without secreted CSF-1, restored neointimal formation. Vascular smooth muscle cells activation, including that mediated by tumor necrosis factor-α, can be driven in an autocrine/juxtacrine manner by CSF-1. These studies provide evidence for local function of CSF-1 in neointimal expansion, and identify CSF-1 signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells, particularly cell surface CSF-1 signaling, as a target for therapeutic strategies in transplant-associated arteriosclerosis.

The Effect of Queen and Worker Adoption on Weaver Ant (Oecophylla smaragdina F.) Queen Fecundity

Incipient ant colonies are often under fierce competition, making fast growth crucial for survival. To increase production, colonies can adopt multiple queens (pleometrosis), fuse with other colonies or rob brood from neighboring colonies. However, different adoption strategies might have different impacts such as future queen fecundity or future colony size. O. smaragdina queen production was measured in incipient colonies with 2, 3 or 4 founding queens, following the transplantation of 0, 30 or 60 pupae from a donor colony. Pupae developed into mature workers, resulting in increased worker/queen ratios in pupae transplanted treatments and leading to increases in the per capita queen production. Conversely, more queens did not induce increased per capita fecundity. Thus, brood robbing added individuals to the worker force and increased future production of resident queens, whereas queen adoption increased the colony’s future production, but not the production of individual queens.

Testing the effectiveness of direct propagation techniques for coral restoration of Acropora spp.

Possible coral restoration through active rehabilitation remains a challenge due to costs, scale of work involved, and poorly understood factors involved in post-transplant survivorship. This latter part remains a technological limitation in all restoration practices to date. In this study, we compared the growth and survivorship of Acropora spp. transplants at two reefs with variable seawater flow rates to determine the success and performance of asexual and sexual propagules using a novel coral restoration device. After 18 months, we found that the mean fragment survivorship did not significantly differ at the two reef sites (P>0.05). In contrast, fragment growth was significantly greater at the reef site with faster rates of seawater flow (P<0.05). For one-week post-settlement transplants, we found that both growth and survivorship were significantly higher after 1 year at the site with closer proximity to the inner lagoon and faster seawater flow rates. As the sexual propagation method described here resulted in a total of 134 recruits from harnessing the gametes from 4 donor colonies, the results show harnessing sexual propagation may be applied for coral restoration practices. In summary, both novel methods of propagation are shown to be effective but performance was shown to be dependent on habitat quality and type of propagation.

Maternal-larval population genetic traits in Stylophora pistillata, a hermaphroditic brooding coral species

Aspects of maternal-planula larval genetics in the monoecious scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata (Red Sea, Eilat) were studied by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) methodology in two successive reproductive seasons. In total, 293 planulae and 10 adult colonies were analyzed. In June 2006, 147 planulae were collected from 10 shallow water colonies. In March, April and June 2007, 146 additional planulae were sampled from five of the ten 2006 sampled colonies. All AFLP products showed unalike band profiles indicating a fully sexual production pattern. We used 181 and 210 putative AFLP loci, of which the overall level of polymorphism in 2006 was 92 and 99% in 2007 (respectively). Differences were also observed between 2006 and 2007 reproductive seasons in terms of total average gene diversity (0.191 vs. 0.247, respectively), suggesting fast turnover of sperm donor genotypes. In addition, increased numbers of potential sperm donor colonies in the vicinity of gravid females showed no impact on genetic differentiation levels in released larvae. UPGMA tree revealed clustering of maternal genotypes and their offspring, suggesting, as expected, high relatedness between planulae and their mothers. In addition, the average heterozygosity of each group of siblings was persistently lower than heterozygosity calculated for the respective maternal colony, suggesting the possibility of partial inbreeding. This trend of reduced genetic heterogeneity in Stylophora pistillata is an alarming sign for populations residing in the northern Red Sea coral reefs.

Relationships among hemocytes, tunic cells, germ cells, and accessory cells in the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against hemocytes of the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri as possible tools to study hemocyte differentiation. In this species, blood cells are involved in various biological functions, such as immunosurveillance, encapsulation of foreign bodies, metal accumulation, and allorecognition. The latter process drives the fusion or rejection of contacting colonies, according to whether they do or do not share at least one allele at the fusibility/histocompatibility (Fu/HC) locus. Hemocytes take part in the rejection reaction, which suggests that they express molecules, coded by the Fu/HC locus, on their surface. A homozygous colony at the Fu/HC locus was used to produce the antibodies, which were screened by immunocytochemistry on hemocyte monolayers, immunohistochemistry on colony paraffin sections, and immunoblotting on colony homogenates. Here, we report on one of the obtained antibodies (1D8), which recognized a surface epitope on hemocytes of the donor colony and other colonies, apparently in a manner specific to the Fu/HC genotype. It also labeled a single 80-kDa band in colony homogenates. In addition, it specifically recognized tunic cells, germ cells, and their accessory cells. These results strengthen the assumption of a close relationship among these types of cells and blood cells, and suggest a close relationship among the above cells, probably deriving from undifferentiated blood cells.

Invasion of Varroa destructor mites into mite-free honey bee colonies under the controlled conditions of a military training area

SummaryThe honey bee mite Varroa destructor can be spread between colonies by vertical transmission, particularly when heavily infested colonies are robbed by foraging bees from neighbouring hives. We quantified the invasion of V. destructor into mite free colonies on a military training area not accessible to other beekeepers. Ten “mite receiver colonies” continuously treated against V. destructor were placed at distances of one to 1.5 km from four heavily infested “mite donor colonies”. Over a two month period from August to October, the population of bees, brood, and V. destructor in the donor colonies were estimated at three week intervals and the invasion of V. destructor into the receiver colonies was recorded every 7–12 days. During the experimental period, between 85 and 444 mites per colony were introduced into the receiver colonies. There were no significant differences in the invasion rates in relation to the distance between donor and receiver colonies. In total, 2,029 mites were found in the 10 receiver colonies, but these only correspond to 2.5% of the total mite population in the donor colonies at the start of the experiment. This means that the major part of the initial V. destructor population died together with the collapsed host colonies. Under natural conditions, a more benign behaviour should therefore be an adaptive strategy for V. destructor. From a practical perspective we could show that highly infested honey bee colonies present a substantial risk to already treated colonies up to distances of 1.5 km away.

Restoration of coral populations in light of genetic diversity estimates

Due to the importance of preserving the genetic integrity of populations, strategies to restore damaged coral reefs should attempt to retain the allelic diversity of the disturbed population; however, genetic diversity estimates are not available for most coral populations. To provide a generalized estimate of genetic diversity (in terms of allelic richness) of scleractinian coral populations, the literature was surveyed for studies describing the genetic structure of coral populations using microsatellites. The mean number of alleles per locus across 72 surveyed scleractinian coral populations was 8.27 (±0.75 SE). In addition, population genetic datasets from four species (Acropora palmata, Montastraea cavernosa, Montastraea faveolata and Pocillopora damicornis) were analyzed to assess the minimum number of donor colonies required to retain specific proportions of the genetic diversity of the population. Rarefaction analysis of the population genetic datasets indicated that using 10 donor colonies randomly sampled from the original population would retain >50% of the allelic diversity, while 35 colonies would retain >90% of the original diversity. In general, scleractinian coral populations are genetically diverse and restoration methods utilizing few clonal genotypes to re-populate a reef will diminish the genetic integrity of the population. Coral restoration strategies using 10-35 randomly selected local donor colonies will retain at least 50-90% of the genetic diversity of the original population.

Regeneration of spermatogenesis by grafting testicular tissue or injecting testicular cells into the testes of sterile mice: a comparative study

To make a comparison between two different approaches-spermatogonial stem cell transplantation and intratesticular grafting, for preservation and reintroduction of spermatogonial stem cells. Prospective experimental study. Academic medical center and teaching hospital. N/A. Intratesticular transplantation, histologic evaluation of testes. Testicular weight, amount of green fluorescence in the testis, and immunostaining for green fluorescent protein. In a first experiment donor-derived spermatogenesis was found in 65% of the injected testes (41.8 +/- 72.2 mm) compared with 75% of the testes (122.1 +/- 45.6 mm) after tissue grafting. In the second series of experiments complete spermatogenesis was found in 75% of the testes after fresh grafting (93.8 +/- 21.8 mm) compared with 88% after frozen-thawed tissue grafting (84.8 +/- 45.6 mm). Both approaches show that spermatogonial stem cells can successfully be introduced to the testis resulting in spermatogenesis. Tissue grafting produced a larger mean donor colony length and there was no significant difference between colonization efficiency using either fresh or frozen-thawed grafts. In a future clinical setting, grafting would be a simple and efficient way for reintroducing stem cells to the testis.

Effect of colony size and age on resource allocation between growth and reproduction in the corals Goniastrea aspera and Favites chinensis

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 354:133-139 (2008) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07216 Effect of colony size and age on resource allocation between growth and reproduction in the corals Goniastrea aspera and Favites chinensis Sayaka Kai*, Kazuhiko Sakai Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 3422 Sesoko, Motobu, Okinawa 905-0227, Japan *Email: k058553@eve.u-ryukyu.ac.jp ABSTRACT: The effect of colony size and age on growth and sexual reproduction was examined by taking small-sized fragments from large mature donor colonies of Goniastrea aspera and Favites chinensis. Both species are massive colonial corals in the family Faviidae. Monopolyp and oligopolyp (5 to 8 polyps) fragments were established. The fragments were cultured in running seawater aquaria for 22 mo, and growth and gamete production were measured. In both species, monopolyp fragments had higher growth rates than oligopolyp fragments. F. chinensis had higher growth rates than G. aspera in both fragment sizes. Polyps tended to bud when there was open space, and smaller colonies had higher growth rates, probably because the polyps of smaller colonies had more open space. In G. aspera, both the monopolyp and oligopolyp fragments produced gametes, whereas in F. chinensis, neither type of fragment produced gametes. These results suggest that sexual maturity is determined by colony age in G. aspera and by colony size in F. chinensis. Our results also suggest that polyps are integrated at the colony level. Polyp integration activity in a colony may be determined by the age of the colony in G. aspera and by the size of the colony in F. chinensis, likely maximizing colony fitness. KEY WORDS: Resource allocation · Colonial corals · Growth · Reproduction · Colony size · Colony age · Integration Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Kai S, Sakai K (2008) Effect of colony size and age on resource allocation between growth and reproduction in the corals Goniastrea aspera and Favites chinensis. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 354:133-139. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07216 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 354. Online publication date: February 07, 2008 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2008 Inter-Research.

Simultaneous Engraftment of Hepatocytes and Endothelial Cells in Mitomycin C Treated Fischer Rats

Treatment with retrorsine crosslinks host hepatocyte DNA and prevents proliferation after partial hepatectomy (PH), allowing selective expansion of transplanted progenitors. Limitations of this protocol are the time required (7 weeks) and the carcinogenicity of retrorsine. This report describes a rapid transplantation protocol that replaces retrorsine with mitomycin C, a widely used chemotherapy agent. To promote donor cell expansion, dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) deficient Fischer rats were injected with mitomycin C, and after 7 days, were injected following PH, with liver isolates containing both hepatocytes and endothelial cells from adult, fetal or newborn DPPIV+ Fischer rats. Injections of gentamicin initiated at one-day post surgery decreased mortality from 55% to 20%. By 4 weeks, host livers contained well-defined hepatocyte colonies that increased 2.6X in size between 4 and 9 weeks and expressed canalicular DPPIV and characteristic hepatocyte proteins. Host livers also contained large clusters of sinusoids lined with DPPIV+ donor cells positive for RECA-1, a pan-endothelial marker. Mixed colonies with donor hepatocytes and endothelial cells were also observed. Primary advantages of this protocol are the rapid production of donor colonies and the potential for developing a clinically applicable protocol for cellular therapy. Grants CA42715, CA93840 and P20RR017695.

When fragmented coral spawn? Effect of size and timing on survivorship and fecundity of fragmentation in Acropora formosa

In order to determine competency of sexual reproduction and survival rate after fragmentation, the branching coral Acropora formosa was fragmented and fragments in three different sizes (ca. 5, 10 and 20 cm long) and three different stages of gametogenesis were transplanted on coral pavement. Their oocyte development and fecundity, as well as spawning were monitored for a 3-year period. The oocyte development was affected by both fragment size and by the developmental stage of oocytes when fragmented. In small fragments, the oocytes were resorbed while in large fragments they continued development. Oocytes in the early vitellogenic stage at the time of fragmentation were resorbed, whereas those in the late stage continued developing. Smaller fragments showed a lower survival rate and histological observations of their gonads revealed resorption of oocytes, suggesting that there was a trade-off of energy between reproduction and survival. Transplanted fragments often spawned one month earlier than the donor colonies in the first year, but spawning occurred in the same month as the donors or did not occur at all in the second year and none spawned in the third year. The risk of colony death may cause the fragments to re-allocate energy for sexual reproduction.