Population control in symbiotic corals

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · Bioscience; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1312147· OSTI ID:5814240

Falkowski, P G ^[1]; Dubinsky, Z ^[2]; Muscatine, L ^[3]; McCloskey, L ^[4]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
2. Bar Ilan Univ., Ramat Gan (Israel)
3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
4. Walla Walla College, College Place, WA (United States)

Stability in symbiotic association requires control of population growth between symbionts. The population density of zooxanthellae per unit surface area of most symbiotic corals is remarkably consistant. How is the population density of zooxanthellae maintained and what happens to the symbiotic association if the balance between algae and host is perturbed. The answers to these question, examined in this paper, provide a framework for understanding how the size of the component populations is controlled in symbiotic associations. The topic areas covered include the following: carbon economy in a symbiotic coral; effects of nutrient enrichment; the chemostat model of population control; the effects of exposure to ammonium levels. Ammonium ions and organic materials are the factors which maintain the density of zooxanthellae. 32 refs., 5 figs.

• OSTI ID: 5814240
• Journal Information: Bioscience; (United States), Vol. 43:9; ISSN 0006-3568
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CORALS
POPULATION DENSITY
SYMBIOSIS
ORGANIC MATTER
ALGAE
GROWTH
HOST
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
POPULATIONS
ANIMALS
CNIDARIA
COELENTERATA
INVERTEBRATES
MATTER
PLANTS
550000* - Biomedical Sciences
Basic Studies