Interactive effects of copper and temperature on coral larvae fom the Great Barrier Reef

Gravid colonies of the corals Acropora millepora and Acropora tenuis were collected from Magnetic Island and transported to the outdoor aquaria at the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The gametes were collected after spawning and the azooxanthellate larvae were cultured in indoor aquaria at 27°C.Seven day old larvae were added to culture plates containing copper solutions with concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32 and 64 µg/l and incubated at 27, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34°C under light conditions set at 30 µmol quanta/m²/s. Six replicates were used for each of the 60 treatments.After incubation for 6 hours, larval metamorphosis was initiated by the addition of extracts derived from two species of crustose coralline algae, Neogoniolithon fosliei and Porolithon onkodes. After a further 18 hours, treatments were terminated and larvae fixed for later assessment of settlement and metamorphosis. This research was undertaken to collect data to provide parameters for a model of the effects of temperature and copper contamination on larval metamorphosis.

本研究从磁岛（Magnetic Island）采集蔷薇刺柄珊瑚（Acropora millepora）与细枝鹿角珊瑚（Acropora tenuis）的怀卵群落，转运至澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（Australian Institute of Marine Science）的室外水族箱。研究人员于珊瑚产卵后收集配子，将无虫黄藻（azooxanthellate）幼虫置于27℃的室内水族箱中培育。随后将培育7日的幼虫接种至含梯度铜溶液的培养板中，铜溶液浓度梯度为0、1、2、4、8、12、16、24、32及64微克/升（µg/l），并分别在27、30、31、32、33与34℃、光照强度设定为30微摩尔量子/平方米/秒（µmol quanta/m²/s）的条件下进行培养。60组实验处理每组均设置6个生物学重复。培养6小时后，通过添加两种壳状珊瑚藻（crustose coralline algae）——新石孔藻（Neogoniolithon fosliei）与团块珊瑚藻（Porolithon onkodes）——的提取物启动幼虫变态发育。继续培养18小时后终止实验，固定幼虫以供后续评估其附着与变态发育情况。本研究旨在收集相关数据，为温度与铜污染对幼虫变态发育的影响模型提供参数。