Coral Reef Ecosystems in Marine Environments

Japan has different climatic zones running from the south to the north of the country, which include subtropical to cool continental zones. Within these zones, 78 genera and 415 species of corals are found. Coral reefs are continuing to decline worldwide owing to large-scale bleaching events that have accompanied climate change. In Japan, the decline of reef-building corals occurred from 1998 to 2007, with many corals also dying during a large-scale bleaching event in 2016. In this chapter, I introduce our studies regarding coral reproduction, “Hybridization and speciation in Acropora” and “Elucidation of synchronous spawning mechanism in Acropora.” The importance and contribution of coral reproduction to the restoration of coral reefs are discussed because the influence of bleaching on reproduction is not limited only to the existing coral colonies, but it might also affect next generation colonies and the maintenance of coral populations.

Keywords: Bleaching, Corals, Multi-specific synchronous spawning, Reproduction.