Observation the reef-building coral body and the skeleton at the same time

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K14601
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 17050:Biogeosciences-related
• Research Institution: Yamagata University (2021-2022); Kyoto University (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Motai Satoko 山形大学, 理学部, 助教 (70795228)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 造礁性サンゴ / カルシウム炭酸塩 / 硬組織 / 軟組織

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We tried to observe the calcification space where reef-building corals form their skeletons. The observation of calcification space has been technically difficult. The living coral was rapidly frozen in seawater and cut for cross section to observe the site between the coral cells and skeleton. The cross section was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) while still frozen. As a result, we were able to observe the skeleton and internal structure of the coral body. The SEM images showed the complexity of the internal structure of the coral body and they were different from the generally shown schematic diagrams. As another method, thin sections were made by gradually replacing the body part with resin at room temperature and hardening it. Observetions of the cross section showed the coral body and the skeleton simultaneously under an optical microscope.

Free Research Field

鉱物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで骨格のみの化学的・鉱物学的観察、生体の観察や遺伝子の分析などの生物学的な研究と各々で行われてきたサンゴ骨格形成過程の議論が行われてきた。それは造礁性サンゴの生体と骨格を同時に観察する手法がなかったことが一つの要因であり、同時観察手法の模索は、両分野で総合的に骨格形成過程を検討する場の提供につながる。海洋環境の変動に造礁サンゴの骨格形成がどのように変化するかを検討する際に、多視点からの検討が可能になる。