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How to Measure the Coral Calcification Rate

Coral reefs grow as individual polyps within the reef move upwards to get better sunlight. As they absorb sunlight, they secrete material that forms the hard skeletal shell called coral. This process is known as calcification. Knowing how fast the reef grows is important in the study of oceanic ecosystems. To learn how fast the reef grows, you need to be able to measure the coral calcification rate.

Things You'll Need

Aquarium
Photosynthesizing lamp
Coral polyps
Measuring tape

Instructions

- 1
  Set your aquarium in an area where you can control as many of the variables as possible. Sunlight and temperature both play a part in helping the coral grow, so try to keep the aquarium at a constant temperature. Your aquarium should also either be in front of a window to get sunlight or under a photosynthesizing lamp.
- 2
  Place the coral polyps into the aquarium. If your coral is already partially grown as store bought ones often are, measure the overall height, width, and depth of the coral with your measuring tape to determine you starting measurements. Use centimeters because corals can start very small and grow very slowly.
- 3
  Allow your coral to grow for one year. Most coral reefs only grow a few centimeters per year, so even under laboratory conditions like these more frequent measurements are unnecessary.
- 4
  Measure the coral with your measuring tape after the first year of your experiment. Subtract the initial measurements from your new measurements to determine the difference in centimeters over a one-year period. You may need to let some of the water out of the aquarium first to avoid spilling.
- 5
  Multiply the difference of your height, weight, and depth to determine the change in volume. This result is listed in cubed centimeters and it is the volume of calcification which occurred over the previous year.

Nature