Group+5A

= Best method of attachment in natural and artificial light = By: Amber Taylor, Devrin Rivera, Jacqui Bell, Tyler Hall

 **Green Star polyps are small bright green polyps connected together by a rubbery purple colored mat. Open during the day, retracted at night or when disturbed. Green Star Polyps are very popular because not only is it fun to watch their little polyps sway in the flow of water, but they are easy to propagate and will spread quickly throughout your aquarium. **  (Green Star Polyps up close)  Corals worldwide are under a new, impending threat. Global warming, pollution, and most prominent, human activity have caused massive damage to these beautiful creatures. In an attempt to "Save the reef" we have turned to coral propagation as a fundamental resource for the regrowth and re population of these underwater wonders. We will have the coral in natural light and artificial light. Both will be close to the filter so that they may have the heavy water flow.

Coral propagation begins with two things, removal and attachment. Different methods of attachments cause different corals varying stress levels. Is sewing through the tissue of the coral as stressful as simply gluing it to the plug, or is piercing it with a tooth pick as damaging as simply allowing passive attachment? Hopefully our experiment will give us an answer, and allow for better, faster, and safer propagation.

Our different forms of attachment will be:   -Passive Attachment -Pushing a tooth pick through and attaching to the rock with a rubber band   -Gluing -Sewing  > We put the corals in natural and artificial light.     
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In our experiment we will have two dish es that will be covered with mesh and used for passive attachment and 6 nearly identical square pieces of cement that will be used for the other forms of attachment. The first part of the experiment will be attaching the coral pieces to there rock.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> media type="youtube" key="RI4bEyWDSZk&hl=en&fs=1" height="344" width="409"media type="youtube" key="3XngS64nVZ8" height="344" width="425" <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">    <span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">      <span style="color: rgb(254, 16, 16);"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: rgb(254, 16, 16);">(These informational videos not only show different fragging techniques, but also different methods of attachment; Aggressive, and passive)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">    <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">  <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**__Updates:__**
 * Necessary Materials:**
 * Reef Glue
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Plugs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sharp Fishing Line
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Razor Blades
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Coral
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Cup
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Mesh
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rubber Band
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Gloves
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Tooth Picks

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">//**Thursday, October 16th, 2008**// : On this day we commenced our experiments. Four different methods were set up: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Each pair of frags was divided and placed under either artificial or natural light, one under each.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2 frags of star polyps were glued to their plugs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2 frags of star polyps were sewn and tied to their plugs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2 frags of star polyps were skewered on toothpicks and banded to their plugs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2 frags of star polyps were set in rubble rock and covered for passive attachment

//**Monday, October 20th, 2008**// : Initial measurements were taken based on polyp count.


 * 1) __Natural Light Corals:__
 * Toothpick: 15 polyps, 1open
 * Glue: Missing
 * Wire: 15 polyps
 * Passive: Signs of attachment


 * 1) __Artificial Light Corals:__
 * Toothpick: 10 polyps, 1 open
 * Glue:15 polyps, 5 open
 * Wire: 6 polyps
 * Passive: No status changes

As you can read we actually had some polyps open, which is a good sign! However, we are all mourning the mysterious disappearance of the natural light, glued star polyps. No new growth has been recorded.


 * //Thursday, November 13th, 2008://** Many new growths in corals

The are missing.
 * 1) __Natural Light Corals:__
 * Toothpick: 13 Polyps
 * Glue: 11 Polyps
 * Wire: 10 polyps
 * Passive: 24 polyps
 * 1) __Artificial Light Corals__:
 * Passive: **DEAD**


 * //Tuesday, November 18th, 2008://** New growths/Healthier

They are all still missing.
 * 1) __Natural Light Corals:__
 * Toothpick: Growing over, under and out of the toothpick/ very healthy; 14 polyps
 * Glue: Lots of growth 12 polyps
 * Thread:**MISSING**
 * Passive: New growth/some polyps open. Healthier of the bunch. 24 polyps
 * 1) __Artificial Light Corals:__


 * //Monday, December 1st, 2008//**: Last data collection.
 * Toothpick: New growth, two new polyps visible; 16 polyps
 * Glue: No new growth since last recorded
 * Thread: **Missing**
 * Passive:Awesome growth, 3 new mats out and 4 new polyps visible, extremely healthy and all polyps open; 28polyps


 * 1) __Artificial light corals:__
 * Passive: **Dead**
 * All others were lost.