Light adaptation and photosynthetic productivity were studied in common reef-building corals on islands of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. When light is attenuated, both in shade and at depth, adaptations by zooxanthellae permit maximal absorption and utilization of light. Better utilization of incident light in shade-dwelling and deep-water coral forms is reflected by higher values of gross photosynthesis on the plateau and linear portion of the photosynthesis-irradiance curve. It was shown that outer branches of reef-building corals are autotrophic in a major part of their light-range distribution and have a high and stable level of primary production.

Depth range
2- 14 m

Mesophotic “mentions”
0 x (total of 2010 words)

Classification
* Presents original data

Fields
Physiology

Focusgroups
Scleractinia (Hard Corals)

Locations
Mauritius

Platforms
Land-based
Surface-deployed sensors and samplers