Taiwanese and US marine biologists have solved a major scientific puzzle on the bioluminescent color changes seen during the life cycles of coral, and the findings might be used to find ways to protect human skin from damage by ultraviolet rays.
In a research collaboration between the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA) and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego, California, scientists found that coral fluorescence changes from green in larvae to cyan in adult colonies.
According to Fan Tung-yun (樊同雲), co-author of the research report, ultraviolet radiation is harmful to coral and leads to coral bleaching and can even kill reef colonies.
Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium
Past studies determined that coral have fluorescent proteins in their cells, which absorb higher-energy light and emit fluorescent light in a lower energy field, but the changes in life development and its associated behavior had not yet been fully explained, Fan said.
For the collaboration, the museum harvested newborn stony coral larvae (Seriatopora hystrix) in waters off Kenting’s South Bay (南灣) and raised them in an aquarium.
The paper — titled Life History Changes in Coral Fluorescence and the Effects of Light Intensity on Larval Physiology and Settlement in Seriatopora hystrix — was co-authored by Fan and US counterparts, M.S. Roth and Dimitri Deheyn.
The scientists subjected newborn larvae, growing larvae and adult polyps to varying wavelengths of light radiation, including ultraviolet, blue and cyan-colored lights.
Results indicated that the change in fluorescence from green in larvae to cyan in adult colonies can be attributed to physiological traits, and the fluorescent protein is affected by environmental conditions, heat stress, as well as differences in light levels and wavelengths.
“The fluorescent proteins have a varying protective effect during the coral’s life cycle. It is likely correlated with the fact that planktonic larvae float near the ocean’s surface [and are more exposed to sunlight] while adult polyps are anchored on the seafloor at some depth [and are thus more protected],” Fan said.
“Our discovery might benefit research into the protection of human skin from ultraviolet radiation. Scientists may be able to develop new types of sun screens or protective suits to guard against solar radiation and offer people greater protection,” he added.
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
STAY IN YOUR LANE: As the US and Israel attack Iran, the ministry has warned China not to overstep by including Taiwanese citizens in its evacuation orders The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday rebuked a statement by China’s embassy in Israel that it would evacuate Taiwanese holders of Chinese travel documents from Israel amid the latter’s escalating conflict with Iran. Tensions have risen across the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran beginning Saturday. China subsequently issued an evacuation notice for its citizens. In a news release, the Chinese embassy in Israel said holders of “Taiwan compatriot permits (台胞證)” issued to Taiwanese nationals by Chinese authorities for travel to China — could register for evacuation to Egypt. In Taipei, the ministry yesterday said Taiwan
Taiwan is awaiting official notification from the US regarding the status of the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) after the US Supreme Court ruled US President Donald Trump's global tariffs unconstitutional. Speaking to reporters before a legislative hearing today, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that Taiwan's negotiation team remains focused on ensuring that the bilateral trade deal remains intact despite the legal challenge to Trump's tariff policy. "The US has pledged to notify its trade partners once the subsequent administrative and legal processes are finalized, and that certainly includes Taiwan," Cho said when asked about opposition parties’ doubts that the ART was
If China chose to invade Taiwan tomorrow, it would only have to sever three undersea fiber-optic cable clusters to cause a data blackout, Jason Hsu (許毓仁), a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator, told a US security panel yesterday. In a Taiwan contingency, cable disruption would be one of the earliest preinvasion actions and the signal that escalation had begun, he said, adding that Taiwan’s current cable repair capabilities are insufficient. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) yesterday held a hearing on US-China Competition Under the Sea, with Hsu speaking on
RSS