Broadcast Spawning by Pocillopora Species on the Great Barrier Reef

Research on the Great Barrier Reef reveals that four species of Pocillopora corals, including the widespread Pocillopora damicornis, engage in broadcast spawning—a rare and previously underreported reproductive mode for this genus. The study documented predictable spawning events occurring two days after the full moon during summer months (November to February), with eggs and sperm released simultaneously and containing Symbiodinium. This finding challenges prior assumptions about P. damicornis being solely a brooder, providing new insights into the reproductive ecology of these corals on the GBR.

Schmidt-Roach, S., Miller, K. J., Woolsey, E., Gerlach, G., & Baird, A. H. (2012). Broadcast Spawning by Pocillopora Species on the Great Barrier Reef. PLoS ONE, 7(12), e50847. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0050847