"Coral Spawning: How do these animals do it? "
- talk and discussion on coral spawning

Hosted by: The Blue Water Volunteers

About the talk
Mass coral spawning is a remarkable phenomenon. First discovered on the Great Barrier Reef in the early 1980’s, mass spawning is when many coral species release eggs and sperm in to the water column (usually at night) for external fertilization. It is still not well understood what drives many coral species from different genera and families to spawn at the same time. The most likely explanation is that these species respond similarly to seasonal, lunar and other environmental cues that help to synchronise spawning, thus increasing the chances of successful fertilization. Previously it had been thought that the mass spawning phenomenon would be absent close to the equator because of the lack of suitable seasonal environmental cues. James looked at the reproductive cycles and spawning patterns of corals around Singapore’s southern islands as part of his PhD at the National University of Singapore. In this talk, James will discuss the work that he had done over the past five years and show that mass coral spawning does indeed occur in local waters.

Singapore’s southern islands are fringed by remarkably diverse coral reefs despite being subjected to relatively poor water conditions. All of these reefs are severely threatened by human activities, but none are formally protected. The talk will conclude with a discussion about marine conservation in Singapore and the value of local coral reefs.