Scientist at Work Blog: In Pristine Reefs, a Vast Library of Species

David Gruber, an assistant professor of biology at Baruch College and research associate at the American Museum of Natural History, is leading a National Geographic Society/Waitt Institute expedition exploring bioluminescent and biofluorescent marine animals in the Solomon Islands.

Tuesday, June 26

We are moving farther into the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. After a two-hour boat ride, we are in the Vonavona Lagoon, on a 110-acre island populated by 10 people and hundreds of large coconut crabs. We are examining the fish and coral biofluorescence from different habitats across the islands. The area surrounding the Vonavona Lagoon is more sparsely inhabited than Gizo, and we are impressed by the striking biodiversity and the healthier state of these reefs. Coral reefs are one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth, and we fear that diminished reefs may lack crucial ecosystem elements that can help us understand the role of the mysterious glowing proteins at the root of bioluminescence.

Joseph Taska, our local guide, says that the resident tribes ? the Saeka, Kinamara, Madau, Buni, Kohingo and Parara ? are active in protecting and managing these reefs. ?The paramount chiefs reached agreements that we are not to fish in certain areas at certain times, and everyone listens,? he tells us, adding, ?The reefs are our livelihood, and we strive to protect them.?

Over the past decade, the tribes have established a series of marine protected areas surrounding critical habitats, like fish spawning sites. They also designate areas where dead (and sometimes living) hard corals may be harvested to be used as fishing weights, as ?sandpaper? to smooth canoe parts and as a source of limestone. Worldwide, designating marine protected areas and ?no-take zones? has proved to be one of the most effective means of preserving the biological integrity of marine ecosystems.

This afternoon, Joseph takes us to an unmarked reef called Shark Point. Immediately after entering the water, I am overwhelmed with the lively hustle and bustle of marine life. The reef is completely covered with an astounding and colorful variety of living corals. The name of the site rings true as white-tip and black-tip reef sharks, silver-tip sharks and scalloped hammerhead sharks are seen mingling within the bustling community. The Solomon Islands are a hotbed of biodiversity; the coral species alone are about 10 times as numerous as in the Caribbean. It falls within the hyperdiverse Coral Triangle that also includes the tropical marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Timor-Leste. The area is nicknamed the ?Amazon of the Seas,? as it nearly rivals tropical rain forests in biodiversity and multiplicity of niches.

Since arriving in the Solomon Islands, we have found biofluorescence in lineages in which it never has been reported before, including breams and flatheads. We have also noted that within specific groups, some fishes exhibit an interspecific variation in the patterns of biofluorescence, which may provide clues to its biological function. John Sparks, Robert Schelly and I embarked on an investigation of fish biofluorescence after a serendipitous discovery in January 2011. As the photographer Jim Hellemn documented a large biofluorescent coral wall in the Caribbean, a biofluorescent eel slipped unnoticed into his frame. When we realized that Jim had not Photoshopped the eel into the nighttime biofluorescent coral array in jest, we started researching biofluorescence in fishes more intensively.

Dan Tchernov, the head of the marine biology department at the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences in Israel, surfaces and exclaims happily: ?This is what the Red Sea around Sinai was like in the early 1980s!? The pristine state of this reef will aid Dan?s study of coral biology under the changing climate and the interspecific diversity of biofluorescent organisms. Insights gathered here will help us better understand biofluorescence?s natural function ? of key importance to developing scientific applications and to building conservation movements.

The group, including Vincent Pieribone, has found multiple organisms in these reefs that exhibit deep red fluorescence. ?I?ve never seen such red fluorescence before,? says Vincent, who designs optical brain sensors from fluorescent proteins found in marine organisms.

These pristine reefs demonstrate the vast libraries of species and compounds waiting to be discovered, cataloged, examined and understood. Modern coral reefs trace their roots back about 240 million years. This ecosystem is the genetic equivalent of the Library of Congress, but holding information that has taken eons to be inscribed. In recent decades, human activity and climate change have left about 75 percent of the world?s coral reefs threatened or severely damaged. Shark Point falls within the remaining quarter not yet facing imminent danger. I am thankful for the foresight of these Solomon Island residents who recognize the close interdependence of humans and nature.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=cfa9f6ce3e88ae51a5adf8babdaefc6a

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