Coral Fluorescing

[LoveReefer]

I was watching Chasing Coral on Netflix for the 4th or 5th time lol. Does anyone know what species of coral it is that turns fluorescent like this? I’ve always wondered if anyone has noticed in their tank the fluorescing event that was observed in the GBR during a bleaching event?

It looks like it is only a certain or a few different corals. Acropora of some sort.

 

[LoveReefer]

Dumb question? lol

 

[sfin52]

Not a dumb question. But it looks like the only one not bleaching.

 

[LoveReefer]

What I gathered from the documentary was the "glowing" effect happened as a last effort to remain alive. I can't remember if this happened just before or after the bleaching occurred. I also can't tell if they took on their natural colors when the fluorescing event happened, but they were extremely bright and a few different colors.

Here's a link to a short clip from the documentary showing a little better what was going on. I found it really interesting.

 

[LoveReefer]

I knew corals in the oceans were very much in danger but after watching this documentary on Netflix, my eyes were opened in a whole new way. It's very sad. When I view what corals I have in my aquarium I respect them that much more. For anyone who hasn't seen Chasing Coral on Netflix...It's very good.

 

[ZoWhat]

This pics you posted....

The Acros with color still have living tissue on them with polyps

Acros that are white are d e a d with no tissue and just the calcium carbonate skeleton left. Crush up the dead skeletons and you have nice Calcium reactor media (wink)

 

[LoveReefer]

This pics you posted....

The Acros with color still have living tissue on them with polyps

Acros that are white are d e a d with no tissue and just the calcium carbonate skeleton left. Crush up the dead skeletons and you have nice Calcium reactor media (wink)

I can buy that. I knew the white acros were completely dead. I guess it only makes sense that the corals fluorescing still had some life in them. In the video (I posted) it says the corals were producing a chemical sunscreen as a last ditch effort to combat the heat. I was curious if anyone has seen this in their aquarium. I know most of our bleaching comes from too much light usually but it was a shot in the dark...

 

[LoveReefer]

I came across this on NOAA website. It doesn't say that bleached coral are necessarily dead, which still keeps me curious if the fluorescing event happens before or after bleaching.