The tropical coral reefs, one of the most diverse and largest ecosystems in the world, may not be around for long as a result of global warming, collecting, and dredging, but now the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco is putting a great effort into recreating these unique living coral reefs.
The Academy is currently growing a fascinating array of corals in multiple shapes and colors in their temporary facility on 875 Howard Street. There, 46 smaller tanks called "coral rearing pods" or agricultural bins have just been installed. Each of the pods nurtures the corals in mild and salty water, under appropriate light, and can hold 16 square feet of living corals.
The plan is to eventually house the corals in a 25-foot-tall, 212,000-gallon aquarium at the new California Academy of Sciences currently being constructed in Golden Gate Park. Visitors will be able to view the world's deepest living coral reef display when the museum opens in 2008.
"What we have here is part of a program that is gradually turning over the entire transition facility on Howard Street. We are not only a public educational facility, but also a research facility," said Chris Andrews, Director of the Steinhart Aquarium.
Coral "Rainforests" Assembled with Superglue, String
Although corals resemble underwater plants, corals are actually animals. They are able to reproduce by themselves, so biologists grow new corals by breaking off pieces of an existing coral colony and affixing these to new pieces of rock. Academy biologists Bart Shephard and Seth Wolters use a variety of tools they call "putty" to encourage the corals to attach themselves to new surfaces. The "putty" includes superglue, rubber bands, epoxy and fishing line.
"It's like a puzzle, you have to make sure you stick them together right," said Shephard, Curator of the Steinhart Aquarium. "If corals touch the same species it's not a problem, but if they touch another species they'll fight. So, we have to make sure that there's an appropriate space between them so they don't kill each other. Some of them are very aggressive and have special tentacles that will sting and kill the other coral and take over the space."
Biodiversity of Coral Reefs Rivals Rainforests
Twice a week, biologist Wolters dives into the 20,000-gallon, 18-foot-deep experimental tank, and every Monday and Tuesday visitors can watch him tend his charges. The tank, located at the Academy's Howard Street site, holds 200 square feet of colonies of different coral polyps swaying back and forth in vibrant colors.
Andrews explains that corals come in two types: hard and soft. Hard corals have rock-like skeletons that remain when they die. Colonies of millions of hard coral polyps form vast coral reefs that grow slowly, about an inch each year. "In addition to being spectacular displays of nature's creativity, coral reefs are reservoirs of biological diversity and are truly the 'tropical rain forests of the sea,'" said Andrews. "But they are also among the most endangered."
According to the Academy's biologists, up to 70 percent of the world's tropical coral reefs may disappear within the next 15 years due to natural and man-made disasters.
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