Spawning coral release quintillions of eggs each year, new calculations suggest
Most kinds of coral spawn once a year. In an enormous multiday event synchronized to specific phases of the moon, they release vast slicks of eggs and sperm into the ocean to be mixed together by the drifting currents.
A recent study has calculated that corals in the Indo-Pacific region release around 3.5 quintillion eggs (3,500,000,000,000,000,000) during a single spawning event. This massive reproductive effort occurs once a year, synchronized with the phases of the moon, and involves vast amounts of eggs and sperm being released into the ocean.
To arrive at this figure, researchers examined data from nearly 190,000 square kilometers of tropical reef and extrapolated from existing knowledge about coral polyps, colonies, and egg production across hundreds of species. The study identified that branching Acropora, Porites, and Montipora species account for about half of the total egg supply.
While larger coral groups produced more eggs per square centimeter, individual species within these groups exhibited significant variation in egg production. This research establishes a baseline for understanding coral reproductive potential, which is crucial for developing strategies to protect and restore coral reefs in the face of global warming.
However, further direct measurements across more species are needed to refine these estimates and better inform conservation efforts.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Spawning coral release quintillions of eggs each year: new research theconversation.com
