(3) study the possible effects of these compounds on coral 

 respiration and photosynthesis; 



(4) examine the effects, if any, on coral growth and regeneration 

 (calcite formation); and 



(5) look for behavioral and ecological changes correlated with residue 

 increase in the corals, their associates, and predators. 



EQUIPMENT 



Aside from a considerable assortment of miscellaneous supplies, the major 

 items used in the habitat were pre-packaged ampoules of the chlorinated 

 hydrocarbon mixtures; plastic bags and tubing for enclosing coral heads, 

 respiration chambers with associated Kanwisher-type polarographic electrodes, 

 stirrers, and recorders; and materials for analyzing the specific activity 

 of carbonic anhydrase. 



Of equal importance, though not used during the mission in the habitat, 

 was the gas-liquid chromatograph (GLC) and expertise of Dr. Karl H. Deubert, 

 in whose pesticide laboratory all the quantitative analysis has, and is 

 being done . 



PROCEDURES 



Heads of coral, located on the reef about 120 meters NE of the habitat, were 

 selected and marked with small, numbered styrofoam floats. These were then 

 enclosed, in situ , with 3 -liter clear plastic bags fastened securely around 

 the coral base with rubber tubing. Leakage from the bag was negligible. 

 Three ampoules each containing pre-measured quantities of one of three 

 compounds (DDT, dieldrin, or Aroclor 1254) suspended in 1-2 ml acetone, were 

 placed in each bag. The ampoules were broken by manipulation through the 

 walls of the bag. Control corals were subjected to a 3 ml dose of uncontam- 

 inated acetone. Dose time was three hours + 30 minutes, with initial con- 

 centrations of approximately 10, 100 and 1000 ppb of each of the three 

 compounds . 



The first series of corals were reserved primarily for abatement studies. 

 Four heads of each of three species-- Montastrea annularis , Acropora 

 cervicornis , and Madracis mirabilis --were selected for uniformity of size and 

 configuration, and the first dosed with 1 ppm, the second with 100 ppb, the 

 third with 10 ppb, and the fourth (control) dosed with pure, uncontaminated 

 acetone. Immediately after the dosing bag was removed, one- fourth of the 

 colony was collected and preserved in 5% formalin. The branching corals 

 were simply partitioned by snipping off one- fourth of the branches at the 

 dead base. In massive forms, like Montastrea annularis, we selected helkds 

 which were composed of at least four "subheads" connected at their bases by 

 dead skeleton. One of these could be removed without damaging the other. 

 Abatement samples were then taken on days 4, 10, and 17 of the experiment. 



VI-230 



