2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Elucidation of mode of the skeleton formation that integrates the organic-inorganic processes of hard corals
| Project/Area Number |
19K21052
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| Project/Area Number (Other) |
18H05871 (2018)
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund (2019)
Single-year Grants (2018) |
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| Review Section |
0204:Astronomy, earth and planetary science, and related fields
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| Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-08-24 – 2020-03-31
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| Keywords | イシサンゴ / 骨格形成 / 形態形成 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In this study, samples were collected mainly in the sea around Nansei Islands at the range of 100 to 400 m. The skeletal analysis was observed in detail using various microscopes, SEM, and EDX. The results showed that coral species, which were previously considered to be solitary, possessed morphological plasticity that allowed them to form colonial in response to the environment. It is possible that solitary or colonial are not a robust taxonomic characteristic in deep-sea corals. In addition, circadian rhythmicity was detected in polyp activity, and circadian clock genes were identified. In the future, it will be possible to reconstruct temporal fluctuations in the ocean environment, based on analyses of the composition of the skeletons of deep-sea corals.
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| Free Research Field |
層位古生物
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
これまでのイシサンゴの成長線研究は，古水温変動や時間軸を読み取るツールとして，その示相性や示準性に重きがおかれてきた．しかし，本研究は日輪といった微小スケールの成長線が，実は石灰化における造骨細胞などの日周活動と対応可能であることに注目し，微細な骨格構造から骨格形成時の細胞活動履歴を読み解く手がかりを得た．また，それを解き明かすため，褐虫藻との共生など成長線形成時の外因を可能な限り排除できる無性生殖由来の非造礁性サンゴを用いることは，従来のサンゴのバイオミネラリゼーション研究では成しえなかった新しい試みである．
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