Table 2. Compensation values, in foot candles, for four species 

 of corals, before dosage, after dosage with a 1 ppm 

 organochlorine mixture (I) , and after a second dosage 

 of the same concentration (II) 



Pre- 

 Species dose 



Madracis mirabilis 435 



Montastrea annularis 100 



Montastrea cavernosa 100 



Muss a angulosa 745 



It is significant that up to four days after dosing, photosynthesis re- 

 mained depressed. Time did not permit us to investigate whether these 

 corals would, if ever, recover. 



We did not record any observable alteration in the behavior of organochlorine 

 dosed corals-- feeding, polyp expansion, sediment clearing, settling of 

 coral associates, or crystal formation. One of us (LRM) has been studying 

 crystal formation of dosed and undosed corals with the aid of a scanning 

 electron microscope, but again, no differences between dosed and undosed 

 corals is obvious. That is not to say that deposition of calcite is not in- 

 hibited, however, we have some preliminary evidence that carbonic anhydrase 

 is inhibited in organochlorine dosed corals, but the method has not been 

 fully exploited. 



In the process of determining normal feeding rates, one of us (RHC) made 

 some significant observations on natural feeding behavior of corals. Previous 

 researchers have concluded that corals feed on zooplankton, at night, at 

 levels too low to meet their metabolic demonds . The balance of their require- 

 ments are supposedly derived from symbiotic algal cells (zooxanthellae) liv- 

 ing in the coral tissues . 



Long term, in situ observations during TEKTITE revealed another, important 

 food source for corals. Many corals were observed feeding on fecal pellets 

 of fish and on other organic detritus. Experiments were conducted on the 

 rate of fecal pellet bombardment and on the rate of fecal pellet feeding of 

 various types of corals. All species of corals examined ate fecal pellets. 

 Feeding was not time dependent and pellets were caught and eaten by the 

 corals both during the day and at night. Following final analysis of the 

 nutritive value of the detritus and fecal pellets a paper will be prepared 

 for publication on this subject. 



VI-234 



