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Michael
Holcomb John M. Pandolfi, Ph.D. "The Research Training Program provided a wonderful opportunity to learn a great deal about a wide range of subjects to which I may well not have been otherwise exposed. " |
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Michael
Holcomb John M. Pandolfi, Ph.D. "The Research Training Program provided a wonderful opportunity to learn a great deal about a wide range of subjects to which I may well not have been otherwise exposed. " |
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Use of X-radiographs in coral identification The Montastraea annularis species complex forms one of the dominant groups of reef building corals in the Carribean. For the past several decades, there was considered to be one species - Montastraea annularis, which exhibited a wide range of growth forms dependent upon the amount of light it received. This was based largely on the observation that growth form generally changed with depth. However, recent molecular stuudies have shown that the different growth forms comprise at least three different species, with each species exhibiting a wide range of growth patterns in part controlled by environmental conditions. The three modern species in the Montastraea annularis complex can be distinguided by: molecular methods, examination of structures along the colony surface, and the overall appearance of the entire colony. Unfortunately, these methods often do not work well for distinguishing corals that are not alive, or were not recently living. In this study, several skeletal characteristics were investigated using X-radiographs for their potential to distinguish both modern and fossil members of the Montastraea annularis complex. Some of these characteristics, such as distances between annaul density bands and measures of colony curvature, do show potential for use in species identification of fossilized corals. By being better able to identify species in the fossil record, scientists may be able to build more accurate models of the past ecology, biodiversity, and climate of the Carribean. This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI 9820303. |