Deep-sea corals spawn on a slower clock than expected, study shows
A Norwegian research team discovered that deep-sea corals take 14-16 months to produce eggs—significantly longer than corals in other regions. The finding matters because these slow-reproducing ecosystems may be even more vulnerable to ocean warming and industrial activities like deep-sea mining than previously understood.
Originaltitel: Female gametogenic processes of the scleractinian coral Desmophyllum pertusum just prior to spawning from the Tisler Reef, Norway
The deep-sea coral Desmophyllum pertusum is an important reef builder with high associated biodiversity. Oocyte sizes were investigated using samples from November and December in each of 2011, 2013, 2022 and 2023 from the Tisler Reef in Norway using histological methodology. Both previtellogenic and vitellogenic cohorts of oocytes coexisted within polyps, with the previtellogenic cohort of oocytes observed as early as late-November and a vitellogenic oocyte growth rate of similar to 1 mu m a day. This suggests a 14-16-month gametogenic cycle, longer than observed in other locations. Vitellogenesis of oocytes is predicted to coincide with the spring bloom in this region. The results of this study provide further understanding of the reproduction of Desmophyllum pertusum, specifically at the Tisler Reef.