Early life history of two species of deep sea coral in the Patagonian fjord region
Short description
The northern Patagonian fjords lie on the interface between the high Andes Mountains in the east and the South Pacific Ocean, formed thousands of years ago through erosive glacial activity and tectonic sinking.
Here, cold-water corals are important ecosystem engineers, creating habitat for a multitude of associated invertebrates and fish and forming the principle foundation of many benthic ecosystems within these fjords.
This project examines the early life history (gametogenesis, fertilization and larval development) of two species of deep sea corals living in this area – Desmophyllum dianthus and Primnoella chilensis.
The northern Patagonian fjords lie on the interface between the high Andes Mountains in the east and the South Pacific Ocean, formed thousands of years ago through erosive glacial activity and tectonic sinking. Here, cold-water corals are important ecosystem engineers, creating habitat for a multitude of associated invertebrates and fish and forming the principle foundation of many benthic ecosystems within these fjords.
Unique opportunities in an accessible habitat
One of the most widespread yet least understood azooxanthellate coral in the world, but at the same time the most abundant in Chilean fjords is Desmophyllum dianthus. This species has a known bathymetric distribution range down to 2 400 m where studies of its physiology or ecology are extremely difficult. In Chilean waters this species forms part of a deep-water emergence community and in the fjords Comau and Reñihué the upper distribution limit of D. dianthus is around 12 m with dense banks on vertical walls starting at 18 m. The situation offers unique opportunities for studying this important ecosystem engineer in an accessible habitat. Thanks to this accessible habitat and previous projects, we now know the seasonality of this coral species in this region.
These fjords are also home to the gorgonian octocoral Primnoella chilensis, a species where the seasonal reproduction is also now known from previous studies. This project aims to investigate the early life history of Desmophyllum dianthus. and Primnoella chilensis (gametogenesis, fertilization and larval development) both in ambient and in climate change simulated conditions.
Deep-water corals – new focus in research
Although coral reefs are commonly associated with shallow water and the tropics, more than half of the world’s coral reefs lie in the deep ocean. But in contrast to well-studied tropical reefs deep-water corals have only recently moved into the focus of researchers. Due to the technical difficulties that are related with deep water coral research, advances are slow and we only have fragmentary knowledge on their ecology, physiology or reproduction.
Research team
Rhian G. Waller, Senior Lecturer at Dep. of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg
Diego Moreno Moran, PhD Student at Dep. of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg
Ignacia Acevedo-Romo, Master's student at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Vreni Häussermann, Huinay Scientific Field Station, Chile
Gunter Försterra, Researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso