S3E3: Diving into the World of Coral

Hello! Welcome to The Entangled Bank Podcast. In this episode of The Entangled Bank, Jamie Land and Shelby Sherman dive into the species of coral along with the help of special guest: Dr. Jennah Ruebens. Dr. Jennah Ruebens is a professor at the University of Southern California, with a PhD in Tropical Ecology, who also happens to be an expert in coral reef ecology. Dr. Jennah Ruebens help Jamie and Shelby tackle their burning questions about the coral species, while covering topics like climate change effects on coral, reproduction strategies and solutions to help saving this unique species. 

What exactly are coral? Before this episode, we did not know much about this species. Many people do not even think about coral as even being animals, let alone being such a complicated species. Dr. Ruebens begins this podcast by answering this seemingly simple question of ours, but with a much more in depth answer than what we expected. She touches on their endosymbiotic relationships with zooxanthellae, which are unicellular eukaryotic organisms. In this podcast, Dr. Ruebens informs us that this endosymbiotic relationship is particularly important when it comes to the problems corals are having right now due to climate change and other environmental factors.    

Long ago, way before the cavemen even took their first step, the ancestors of coral were thriving. Shelby shares her insights in this podcast about the first ancestors of coral dating all the way back to 237 million years ago. These weird ancestors weren’t what we commonly think of coral being like. They did not even form the reefs that we associate with corals. In this podcast, Shelby enlightens us with the fact that coral reefs began around the late triassic period but since then have experienced extinction. That is the common worry today when it comes to discussing this species. Will they become extinct?! 
                                                  

                                                      Image Source: iFunny

Before we dive into that question, Dr. Ruebens explains the common life cycle of coral in this podcast. She explains the two different phases that corals go through and how they reproduce. Dr. Rueben’s called the coral’s way of reproducing, a “mass orgy”. To find out exactly what this “mass orgy” entells, you will have to listen to the podcast or google it. But neither me nor Shelby recommend typing those words into your browser… Seen below, is an image of a corals common life cycle. Dr. Ruebens discusses each stage in this podcast. 

 

                                                     Image Source: “Coral Feeding and Nutrition”

In this podcast, we discuss the question many have asked. Will coral become extinct? Many scientists are scared for the future of this species, Dr. Ruebens being one of them. She explains just how climate change has affected corals and the other environmental factors that have played a role in damaging this species. She explains that we actually have a lot to do with the damage being done. Now, before we go pointing fingers, Dr. Ruebens explains how humans have had a lot to do with damaging coral, but she also discusses how humans can help save the coral and reasons why we should take those steps.  

Want to help this species? Me and Shelby sure do. In this podcast, we ask Dr. Ruebens how we can help save this species from all the threats that they experience. Dr. Ruebens explains what all is being done right now to protect the coral, like closing off certain areas from human contact. Dr. Ruebens tells us that the best way to protect the coral is to just leave them alone. So next time you’re on vacation snorkeling and see a beautiful coral reef, DO NOT TOUCH IT! Although it may seem like we can’t do anything to save the coral, we can vote for those in power that will stand up for this species and propose more laws and restrictions to save them, so not all hope is lost. Visit this link to learn more about what you can do to help this species. 😁                
                                                           

                                                  Image Source: KissClipart

References:
Cinner, Joshua E. et al. 2016. “Bright Spots among the World’s Coral Reefs.” Nature 535(7612): 416–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature18607.

"Coral Feeding and Nutrition." Endangered Species International, https://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/coralreefs2.html.

"Download Coral Reef Background." KissClipart, https://www.kissclipart.com/save-the-coral-reefs-clipart-the-coral-reef-the-gr-ulq4u7/.

Fel, Jean Pierre et al. 2019. “Photochemical Response of the Scleractinian Coral Stylophora Pistillata to Some Sunscreen Ingredients.” Coral Reefs 38(1): 109–22.

Hughes, Terry P. et al. 2017. “Global Warming and Recurrent Mass Bleaching of Corals.” Nature 543(7645): 373–77.

Keith, Sally A. et al. 2016. “Coral Mass Spawning Predicted by Rapid Seasonal Rise in Ocean Temperature.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283(1830).

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Neriocity. "Picture Memes SYgtJ15b6 by Neriocity: 0.5K Comments - IFunny :)." IFunny, 31 Mar. 2019, https://ifunny.co/picture/SYgtJ15b6.

Riegl, B., A. Bruckner, S. L. Coles, P. Renaud, and R. E. Dodge. 2009. Coral reefs: Threats and conservation in an era of global change. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1162:136 186.

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“What You Can Do to Help Protect Coral Reefs.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 26 Sept. 2018, https://www.epa.gov/coral-reefs/what-you-can-do-help-protect-coral-reefs.

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