The document proposes an experiment to test the effects of vitamin C on the growth rates of two Caribbean coral species, Acropora palmata and Acropora cerviconis. These reef-building corals have suffered extensive damage in recent decades due to factors like disease, ocean acidification, and rising temperatures. The experiment would expose coral samples to different concentrations of vitamin C to see if their growth rates increase, as previous studies found vitamin C accelerated growth in soft corals. Faster coral growth could help replenish damaged reef ecosystems through cultivation and reintroduction efforts.

1. Effects of Vitamin C on Caribbean Acropora
Species
Gabriel Pastrana Castellanos
Research Proposal
Rise Program
June 2015

2. The Problem

Picture showing many bleached colonies of Acropora
palmatapicture taken from griseus.tumblr.com

3. Problem

In the past few decades most of the Caribbean's reef-
building coral populations have been wiped out due to a
number of factors like: diseases, ocean acidification,
rising ocean temperatures, and pollution just to name a
few.

The two most important reef-building corals in the
Caribbean are Acropora palmata and Acropora
cerviconis and both of these species have suffered
extensive damage to their populations.

4. Why is This Topic Important?

As mentioned earlier, the Caribbean's main reef-
building coral species are being lost at alarming rates.

These corals that are being lost are a very important
and indispensable part of our reef ecosystem which
provide us with shore protection, tourism, ande vast
fisheries among other things.

Loosing the Caribbean's reefs would be a major
environmental and economic disaster for the countries
in the Caribbean.

5. Acropora palmata

Acropora palmata picture taken from http://coral.aims.gov.au

6. How Would I Solve This Problem?

Based on other research I believe that if you add
Vitamin C to the water you could increase the coral's
growth.

Well, I propose to do an experiment in which we could
test the growth rate of Acropora palmata in the
presence of different concentrations of Vitamin C in its
water to see if there is any increase in coral growth
rate.

7. How Would I Solve This Problem?

This experiment has been done on soft coral species
and yielded positive results.

If I can manage to prove that Vitamin C helps
accelerate Acropora palmata's growth then this could
be used to cultivate more corals in a shorter amount of
time so more of them can be reintroduced into their
environment.

You could also develop a product that stimulates coral
growth for the saltwater aquarium hobby.

8. References

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov

http://www.advancedaquarist.com

http://www.cesampr.com

http://web.stanford.edu/group/journal/cgi-bin/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2012/09/Kruse_NatSci_2011.pdf