Corals are alive!
CORAL RESEARCH
TANK #2

VISIBLE SPECIES:
  • Acropora sp.

CORAL RESEARCH

DATE STARTED: 4/20/03

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The Waikiki Aquarium has maintained cultures of living corals since 1978 and now has the oldest and perhaps largest collection of living corals in the United States.

How do corals grow? All corals begin as a single polyp. Many types of corals grow by dividing. Two polyps, then four, then eight and so on until hundreds or thousands of polyps form large colonies. It is entirely possible that no one has ever closely watched coral polyps divide and grow; now we can all watch it together!

Polyp
On April 20th, 2003 we placed a branch of coral in front of our research camera. This is the image you are now viewing. If it is daytime in Hawaii you should see a brown branching coral with numerous bumps. These bumps represent a small section of skeleton with an individual polyp. If you look closely you may just be able to see a few whitish tentacles peaking out from the tip of the bump. As the coral grows, these bumps will grow longer and may split into two more bumps - at least that is what we think will happen. We don't know how long this will take, but this is a slow motion event so you'll have to tune in often to see the changes

The Corals are Alive! exhibition has been made possible with support from the Tesoro Foundation and the Castle Foundation; additional funding from the Friends of the Waikiki Aquarium.

More about our corals
They come from Pacific reefs
The corals in our research tanks come from a variety of locations. We look for small fragments that have broken off naturally and bring them back to the Waikiki Aquarium to grow.

Our corals travel the world
Did you know corals can fly? Well not exactly. Part of our work on corals has been to help reduce collection of corals from the wild and to support aquariums and researchers around the world. Since 1991, we've sent out over 2,600 pieces of coral that have been cultured here, 650 pieces in 1998 alone. That's a lot of coral! We are one of the first aquariums in the United States to conduct coral research as a primary focus, we have had an active coral research program since 1978. Chances are, if your home town aquarium has living coral, they probably got it here. Check out our links, does your aquarium have some coral from us?
Getting to know corals
Visit our library to learn more about corals and coral reefs.
What can you do to help coral reefs
Wherever you live, you can help save coral reefs! First of all, since all waters flow to the sea, you can help take care of lakes, rivers and streams near you. Keep them clean and healthy! Check out the EPA Office of Water for ideas.

Next, many reef scientists fear that environmental changes, including global warming, may be adding stress to reefs worldwide. Do your part to live more lightly on the planet. Consume less, reuse more, enjoy what you have, and recycle as much as you can. And if you live by or visit reefs, there is a lot more you can do. Try these sites for ideas:


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Last update: Tuesday, August 3, 2004 3:37:42 PM
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