Darwin discovered to be right: Eastern Pacific barrier is virtually impassable by coral species

[Staff]

Darwin discovered to be right: Eastern Pacific barrier is virtually impassable by coral species
Public release date: 27-Aug-2012
Contact: Barbara Kennedy

Darwin discovered to be right: Eastern Pacific barrier is virtually impassable by coral species
excerpt from above:

The Eastern Pacific Barrier (EPB) -- an uninterrupted 4,000-mile stretch of water with depths of up to 7 miles -- separates the central from the eastern Pacific Ocean. In his writings, Darwin had termed this barrier "impassable" and, since Darwin's time, scientists have confirmed that many species of marine animals cannot cross this oceanic divide. However, until now, researchers had not performed a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the barrier on coral species. "The adult colonies reproduce by making small coral larvae that stay in the water column for some time, where currents can take them to far-away places," Baums said. "But the EPB is a formidable barrier because the time it would take to cross it probably exceeds the life span of a larva."

To test whether or not coral larvae are able to travel across the barrier...

[Staff]

Surprising Coral Diversity Rivals Great Barrier Reef
Megan Gannon, News Editor
Date: 20 September 2012 Time: 02:51 PM ET

Coral Diversity in West Indian Ocean May Rival Great Barrier Reef | LiveScience
excerpt from above:

The coral diversity in the West Indian Ocean, especially around Madagascar, is greater than previously believed and it may even rival parts of the Great Barrier Reef, new research shows.

The study, published Sept. 19 in the journal PLoS ONE, is based on surveys of reef-building corals conducted from 2002 to 2011 by scientists with the Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO).

The researchers identified…