IJA-2017v7n8 - page 4

International Journal of Aquaculture, 2017, Vol.7, No.8, 57
-
63
57
Research Report
Open Access
Effect of LEDs Light Spectrum on Success of Fragmentation and Growth of
Leather Coral
Sarcophyton
spp.
Catarina Mendes
1,2
, Cátia Fernandes
1
, André Moreira
1
, João Chambel
1,2,3
, Paulo Maranhão
1
, Sérgio Leandro
1
1 MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ESTM, Intituto Politécnico de Leiria, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal
2 AQUASPROSEA, Lda, Santuário Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, 2520-641 Peniche, Portugal
3 ADN- Aquarium Design, Lda, Travessa 1
º
de Maio, N
º
9 2630-433 Cardosas, Portugal
Corresponding author Email:
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2017, Vol. 7, No.8 doi:
Received: 13 Mar., 2017
Accepted: 8 Jun., 2017
Published: 20 Jun., 2017
Copyright © 2017
Mendes et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article
:
Mendes C., Fernandes C., Moreira A., Chambel J., Maranhão P., and Leandro S., 2017, Effect of LEDs light spectrum on success of fragmentation and growth
of leather coral
Sarcophyton
spp., 7(8): 57-63 (doi:
)
Abstract
The increasing demand for soft corals is reflected on the high attention of the scientific community during the last decades,
with several studies focus on production techniques and optimization of coral husbandry. However, coral culture success is
influenced by the interaction of different factors, such as water movement, temperature, nutrients, heterotrophic feeding and light
conditions. Light plays a key role in the growth, reproduction and physiology of corals that host phototrophic symbionts and it has
been found that the photoresponse of corals is species-specific. Several studies have already focused on the effects of irradiance on
coral and its algal symbionts. Although, only a few works have investigated the role of the spectral quality of light on coral
photobiology, physiology and growth. In the present study, we hypothesize that light spectrum can influence the growth performance
of Leather Coral
Sarcophyton
spp.when exposed at identical intensities of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). To test our
hypothesis we evaluated the effect of contrasting light spectra with an identical PAR of 70 ± 10 μmol quantam
−2
.s
−1
emitted by T8
fluorescent lamps (used as a control treatment) and three different colours of Light Emitting Diode (LED), white, blue and red. It was
evaluated survival and growth rates of
Sarcophyton
spp., an important soft coral in the marine aquarium trade and for the
bioprospecting of marine natural compounds. Replicated coral fragments were obtained from two mother colonies and were exposed
to the four types of light spectrum for a period of 30 days. At the end of the experiment period, the results showed 100% of survival
in coral fragments, and specific growth rate (SGR) of 0,055 ± 0,09%/day in control group and 0,091 ± 0,019 %/day, 0,210 ±
0,031%/day and 0,380 ± 0,245%/day in, white, blue and red light, respectively. Moreover, in all treatments at end of experiment the
zooxanthellae density was ±, ± and ± for white, blue and red light spectrum, respectively showing that all light promotes conditions
for zooxanthellae growth. The results also showed a positive role of use a specific light spectrum in coral growth, namely blue and
red spectrum. The use of light with specific light spectrum that increasing the growth and health of corals will minimizing the
production costs, increasing the feasibility of ex situ production of ornamental corals and this study identify the best LED`s light
spectrum for the growth of the leather coral
Sarcophyton
spp.
Keywords
Coral propagation;
Sarcophyton
spp; Coral growth; Marine ornamentals; Light spectrum
1 Introduction
The ornamental trade of marine organisms is a widespread and global component of international trade, fisheries,
aquaculture and socio-economic development (Olivotto et al., 2006; Chambel et al., 2015).
A large variety of reef invertebrates, including soft corals, has been used as a potential source of biomolecules for
diverse natural products with pharmaceutical or cosmetic value and as a source of organisms for the reef-aquarium
trade (Forsman et al., 2006; Sella and Benayahu, 2010; Leal et al., 2013). Due to the intense demand for soft
corals, it is essential to continue the studies that have been carried out in recent years with the objective of
optimizing the production of corals in captivity (Schlacher et al., 2007; Sella and Benayahu, 2010). However
successful coral culture is influenced by numerous factors, such as water movement, temperature, nutrients,
heterotrophic feeding and light quality (Strychar et al., 2005; Khalesi et al., 2009; Schutter et al., 2010; Van Os et
al., 2012; Mayfield et al., 2013; Rocha et al., 2013).
1,2,3 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
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