Abstract:
In this study, the photosynthesis and respiration of hermatypic corals that symbiosis
with zooxanthellae were examined through the determination of photosynthetic and
respiration rates based on dissolved oxygen and total carbon dioxide determination.
Comparisons were made between four species of corals namely Acropora famosa,
Pocillopora damicronis, Fungai repanda and Hydnopora grandis. The experiment
were conducted in-situ under light and dark condition. Dissolved oxygen and total
carbon dioxide concentration were measured after 9 hour of exposure to calculate the
gross photosynthetic and net respiration rates throughout the day (morning, afternoon
and evening). Photosynthetic rates of F repanda based on dissolved oxygen produced
during the light reaction was highest in morning (5.1274 ± 0.4030 xl0-
9
1
02 mg L-
1
1
ceU-
h-
and 13.2649 ± 1.0971 xl0-
3
1
02 mg L-
2
cm-
h-
1
) compared to the other
species of corals. Conversely A. famosa (Redand Island) had the highest net
respiration rate in the evening based on dissolved oxygen consumed which were
1.7688 ± 0.9845 02 xl0-
9
1
1
mg L-
1
ceU-
h-
and 2.2877 ± 1.273 xl0-
3
1
2
02 mg L-
cm-
h-
1
. However, the highest gross photosynthetic and net respiration rates based on total
carbon dioxide alteration were A. famosa (Lang Tengah Island) in the afternoon and
H grandis in the evening respectively.
