Aiptasia pallida as a Model for Coral Reef Bleaching

 

Ferzli, M. & M. Niedzlek-Feaver

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2010, Volume 31

Abstract

Using Aiptasia pallida, the tropical pale sea anemone, students can study coral reef bleaching by measuring the effects of various environmental factors on zooxanthellae, photosynthetic symbiotic dinoflagellate algae that inhabit corals and Aiptasia. Aiptasia pallida, like corals, can lose their endosymbionts in response to various stimuli. In this experiment students manipulate several factors which have been associated with coral bleaching, such as changes in temperature and light intensity. By measuring endosymbiont numbers before and during exposure to various temperatures and light intensities, students monitor the effects of these factors over time. Students also look at the role that food plays in preservation of endosymbionts by Aiptasia pallida during the different environmental treatments. Students work collaboratively in their labs and pool their data with data from other lab sessions that run both concurrently and throughout the day and evening, giving them a comprehensive look at endosymbiont numbers during the course of the day. Skills such as experimental design, collecting, organizing, and representing data, and communicating results are an important component of the lab. Students also gain procedural knowledge as they learn how to handle the anemones, identify, and quantify endosymbionts. This laboratory experiment provides the flexibility for customizing to the needs of the course and the availability of resources. It lends itself well for studies in ecological or species relationships, and can be taught using different strategies, ranging from traditional laboratory instruction to inquiry-based learning.

Keywords:  anemone, coral reefs, coral bleeching, zooxanthellae

University of Delaware (2009)