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Polyp longevity in a precious gorgonian coral: hints toward a demographic approach to polyp dynamics

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Abstract

In this paper, we investigated the age distribution and dynamics of polyps in the slow-growing and long-lived gorgonian Corallium rubrum (the Mediterranean red coral), applying an a posteriori demographic approach by considering each colony as a population of polyps. In the Mediterranean red coral, new polyps emerge from the coenenchyme in different regions of the colony and their budding rate depends on the age of branches. The age of polyps, branches and colonies were estimated using the organic-matter-staining dating method on thin sections of the colony skeleton. The median age and maximum life span of polyps were 4 and 12 years suggesting the presence of senescence processes: thus a colony renews several times its polyps during life cycle. Polyps were divided into annual age classes, and their mortality rates calculated. The polyp age distribution was then used to construct a mortality table and an algebraic transition matrix based on the age at death of 234 polyps. Finally, the polyp budding rate of a young, unbranched colony was calculated, and polyp temporal dynamics simulated. These findings represent the first steps for developing demographic models able to describe polyp dynamics of old and highly branched colonies.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank A. Malasoma and A. Bernardeschi (TS Lab & Geoservices snc of Pisa) for their help in preparing the red coral thin sections. We also wish to thank G. Galli (Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale, Trieste) for his intriguing questions on polyp life cycle, D. Vielzeuf (CINaM - Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille) for his useful suggestions on the manuscript, and A. Cafazzo for his revision of the English text. This work is part of the PhD Thesis of M.C. Benedetti, which has been funded by Enzo Liverino s.r.l., Chii Lih Coral Co Ltd of Taiwan and the University of Pisa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Pisa, CoNISMa, Via Volta 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Maria Carla Benedetti, Cristina Priori, Fabrizio Erra, Fabio Bulleri & Giovanni Santangelo

  2. Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d’Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, LECOB, 66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France

    Lorenzo Bramanti

  3. Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123, Povo, TN, Italy

    Mimmo Iannelli

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  1. Maria Carla Benedetti
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Correspondence to Maria Carla Benedetti.

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Benedetti, M.C., Bramanti, L., Priori, C. et al. Polyp longevity in a precious gorgonian coral: hints toward a demographic approach to polyp dynamics. Coral Reefs 39, 1125–1136 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-020-01942-6

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