Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering
The ability of coral reefs to engineer complex three-dimensional habitats is central to their success and the rich biodiversity they support. In tropical reefs, encrusting coralline algae bind together substrates and dead coral framework to make continuous reef structures, but beyond the photic zone...
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School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
2014
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ftumeauniv:oai:DiVA.org:umu-195857 2023-10-09T21:53:22+02:00 Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering Hennige, S. J. Morrison, C. L. Form, A. U. Buscher, J. Kamenos, Nicholas A. Roberts, J. M. 2014 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-195857 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06782 eng eng School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland Scientific Reports, 2014, 4, orcid:0000-0003-3434-0807 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-195857 doi:10.1038/srep06782 PMID 25345760 ISI:000343978700014 Scopus 2-s2.0-84940033153 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Ecology Ekologi Geochemistry Geokemi Article in journal info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2014 ftumeauniv https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06782 2023-09-22T13:56:13Z The ability of coral reefs to engineer complex three-dimensional habitats is central to their success and the rich biodiversity they support. In tropical reefs, encrusting coralline algae bind together substrates and dead coral framework to make continuous reef structures, but beyond the photic zone, the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa also forms large biogenic reefs, facilitated by skeletal fusion. Skeletal fusion in tropical corals can occur in closely related or juvenile individuals as a result of non-aggressive skeletal overgrowth or allogeneic tissue fusion, but contact reactions in many species result in mortality if there is no 'self-recognition' on a broad species level. This study reveals areas of 'flawless' skeletal fusion in Lophelia pertusa, potentially facilitated by allogeneic tissue fusion, are identified as having small aragonitic crystals or low levels of crystal organisation, and strong molecular bonding. Regardless of the mechanism, the recognition of 'self' between adjacent L. pertusa colonies leads to no observable mortality, facilitates ecosystem engineering and reduces aggression-related energetic expenditure in an environment where energy conservation is crucial. The potential for self-recognition at a species level, and subsequent skeletal fusion in framework-forming cold-water corals is an important first step in understanding their significance as ecological engineers in deep-seas worldwide. Article in Journal/Newspaper Lophelia pertusa Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) Scientific Reports 4 1 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) |
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ftumeauniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Ecology Ekologi Geochemistry Geokemi |
spellingShingle |
Ecology Ekologi Geochemistry Geokemi Hennige, S. J. Morrison, C. L. Form, A. U. Buscher, J. Kamenos, Nicholas A. Roberts, J. M. Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering |
topic_facet |
Ecology Ekologi Geochemistry Geokemi |
description |
The ability of coral reefs to engineer complex three-dimensional habitats is central to their success and the rich biodiversity they support. In tropical reefs, encrusting coralline algae bind together substrates and dead coral framework to make continuous reef structures, but beyond the photic zone, the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa also forms large biogenic reefs, facilitated by skeletal fusion. Skeletal fusion in tropical corals can occur in closely related or juvenile individuals as a result of non-aggressive skeletal overgrowth or allogeneic tissue fusion, but contact reactions in many species result in mortality if there is no 'self-recognition' on a broad species level. This study reveals areas of 'flawless' skeletal fusion in Lophelia pertusa, potentially facilitated by allogeneic tissue fusion, are identified as having small aragonitic crystals or low levels of crystal organisation, and strong molecular bonding. Regardless of the mechanism, the recognition of 'self' between adjacent L. pertusa colonies leads to no observable mortality, facilitates ecosystem engineering and reduces aggression-related energetic expenditure in an environment where energy conservation is crucial. The potential for self-recognition at a species level, and subsequent skeletal fusion in framework-forming cold-water corals is an important first step in understanding their significance as ecological engineers in deep-seas worldwide. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hennige, S. J. Morrison, C. L. Form, A. U. Buscher, J. Kamenos, Nicholas A. Roberts, J. M. |
author_facet |
Hennige, S. J. Morrison, C. L. Form, A. U. Buscher, J. Kamenos, Nicholas A. Roberts, J. M. |
author_sort |
Hennige, S. J. |
title |
Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering |
title_short |
Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering |
title_full |
Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering |
title_fullStr |
Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering |
title_full_unstemmed |
Self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering |
title_sort |
self-recognition in corals facilitates deep-sea habitat engineering |
publisher |
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-195857 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06782 |
genre |
Lophelia pertusa |
genre_facet |
Lophelia pertusa |
op_relation |
Scientific Reports, 2014, 4, orcid:0000-0003-3434-0807 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-195857 doi:10.1038/srep06782 PMID 25345760 ISI:000343978700014 Scopus 2-s2.0-84940033153 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06782 |
container_title |
Scientific Reports |
container_volume |
4 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1779316617542369280 |