Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida/IFAS, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Center for Conservation, The Florida Aquarium, Apollo Beach, Florida, USA.
Zoo Biol. 2021 May;40(3):201-207. doi: 10.1002/zoo.21589. Epub 2021 Feb 5.
Land-based coral culture is of increasing interest for conservation and educational display. Shallow water corals generate most of their energy from photosynthesis, and light is a critical abiotic factor in their husbandry. We compared growth, calcification, and photobiology in the coral Acropora cervicornis between natural and artificial (light-emitting diode; LED) light to better understand the impact of light source on coral performance. One tank of a greenhouse recirculating system at The Florida Aquarium's Center for Conservation was used to culture replicate coral colonies. Half of the tank and corals were covered to block sunlight and illuminated with a commercial reef aquarium LED fixture, while the other half was exposed to natural sunlight. Treatments were matched in terms of maximum photosynthetically active radiation and spectral measurements characterized both light regimes. Coral growth and calcification were tracked over a period of 19 weeks by repeated measurements of total linear extension (TLE) and buoyant weight. For the first 5 weeks, photosynthetic yield was measured weekly using a pulse-amplitude-modulated fluorometer. Calcification was significantly higher under LED lighting relative to natural light, but TLE did not differ. Photobiology data suggest that corals in both treatments were acclimated to the same light level, but photosynthetic efficiency was ultimately greater in the natural light treatment. More consistent light delivery and different spectral composition under LED treatment conditions may explain the incongruity between calcification and photosynthetic efficiency. This experiment informs husbandry of shallow-water scleractinian corals maintained in both natural sunlight and enclosed structures.
基于陆地的珊瑚养殖越来越受到保护和教育展示的关注。浅水珊瑚通过光合作用产生大部分能量，而光是其养殖的关键非生物因素。我们比较了自然和人工（发光二极管；LED）光源下的珊瑚 Acropora cervicornis 的生长、钙化和光生物学特性，以更好地了解光源对珊瑚表现的影响。佛罗里达水族馆保护中心的温室循环系统中的一个水箱用于养殖珊瑚的复制品。水箱的一半和珊瑚被覆盖以阻挡阳光，并由商业礁鱼缸 LED 灯具照明，而另一半则暴露在自然光下。在最大光合作用有效辐射和光谱测量方面，两种处理方式相匹配，以匹配两种光照条件。通过重复测量总线性延伸（TLE）和浮力重量，在 19 周的时间内跟踪珊瑚的生长和钙化情况。在最初的 5 周内，每周使用脉冲幅度调制荧光计测量光合产量。与自然光相比，LED 照明下的钙化率显著更高，但 TLE 没有差异。光生物学数据表明，两种处理方式下的珊瑚都适应了相同的光照水平，但自然光处理下的光合效率最终更高。更一致的光照输送和 LED 处理条件下不同的光谱组成可能解释了钙化和光合效率之间的不一致性。该实验为在自然光和封闭结构中饲养浅水硬珊瑚提供了信息。
