Ivory Bush Coral

Ivory Bush Coral
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Anthozoa
Subclass:	Zoantharia
Order:	Scleractinia
Genus:	Oculina (genus)
Species:	varicosa
Binomial name
Oculina varicosa LeSueur, 1821

The ivory bush coral (Oculina varicosa) is a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service species of concern.^[1] Species of concern are those species about which the U.S. Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service, has some concerns regarding status and threats, but for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Species Description

Oculina varicosa ranges from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, though the main population of concern is off east-central Florida where it forms unique thicket-type structures in 70-100 meters (230 to 330 ft) depth known as the "Oculina Banks". Colonies are arborescent, with highly clumped, irregular bushy branches.

Ecology

Over 300 species of invertebrates have been found living in the branches of O. varicosa (Reed 2002), so it serves as an important keystone species and habitat.

Conservation

Oculina coral reefs off Florida have been identified as essential fish habitat for federally-managed species. The Experimental Oculina Research Reserve preserves the Oculina Banks, a reef of Oculina varicosa off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida.

The known and documented threat in the Oculina Banks area is damage from mechanical fishing gear, including dredges, bottom long lines, trawl nets and anchors despite supposed habitat-based protections.^[2]

Status Reviews

Current research is focusing on clarifying the uncertain taxonomy of this species.

References

1. ^ NOAA Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources. "Proactive Conservation Program: Species of Concern". http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/concern/. Retrieved 2009-02-18. 
2. ^ Reed JK, Koenig CC, Shepard AN, and Gilmore Jr RG (2007). "Long Term Monitoring of a Deep-water Coral Reef: Effects of Bottom Trawling.". In: NW Pollock, JM Godfrey (Eds.) the Diving for Science…2007 Proceedings of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (Twenty–sixth annual Scientific Diving Symposium). http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7004. Retrieved 2008-06-16. 

External links

This cnidarian-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Oculinidae Cnidarian stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу Néré Neuvicq-le-Château Look at other dictionaries: Experimental Oculina Research Reserve — IUCN Category Ia (Strict Nature Reserve) …   Wikipedia Oculina diffusa — Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Cnidaria Class: Anthoz …   Wikipedia Ecological facilitation — Facilitation describes species interactions that benefit at least one of the participants and cause harm to neither (Stachowicz 2001). Facilitations can be categorized as mutualisms, in which both species benefit, or commensalisms, in which one… …   Wikipedia Scleractinia — Taxobox name = Stony Corals fossil range = fossil range|245.0|0TriassicVerify source|date=May 2008 to recent image width = 250px image caption = Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) regnum = Animalia phylum = Cnidaria classis = Anthozoa ordo …   Wikipedia environment — environmental, adj. environmentally, adv. /en vuy reuhn meuhnt, vuy euhrn /, n. 1. the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences; surroundings; milieu. 2. Ecol. the air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors… …   Universalium performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium Life Sciences — ▪ 2009 Introduction Zoology       In 2008 several zoological studies provided new insights into how species life history traits (such as the timing of reproduction or the length of life of adult individuals) are derived in part as responses to… …   Universalium List of trees and shrubs by taxonomic family — The following is a list of trees and shrubs of high notoriety. Taxonomic families for the following trees and shrubs are listed in alphabetical order, likewise the genera and closely related species.=GYMNOSPERMS= =CONIFERS= Araucariaceae: The… …   Wikipedia eastern Africa, history of — Introduction       history of the area from ancient times through the 20th century. East Africa The coast until 1856       The earliest written accounts of the East African coast occur in the Periplus Maris Erythraei apparently written by a Greek …   Universalium Africa — /af ri keuh/, n. 1. a continent S of Europe and between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. 551,000,000; ab. 11,700,000 sq. mi. (30,303,000 sq. km). adj. 2. African. * * * I Second largest continent on Earth. It is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea,… …   Universalium 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”