| Quick Couplings In The Ocean
When the San Diego State University started looking for couplings to use in
their Coral Research project they selected KENT Systems. “As I recall, they
were looking for a quick coupling that was easy enough to use in the
challenging underwater environment” Says Lyle Sampson plant manager at KENT
Systems, LLC. “In addition, they required the couplings to be color-coded.
Fortunately, KENT Systems offers enough color options for our bulkhead
couplings that SDSU was able to select colors that were easily identifiable
under water.” Concludes Sampson
As sunlight shines through water, the water acts like a filter and removes
color for the spectrum, thereby changing the look of the color-coded products.
You can learn more about the Coral Research project from their press release
listed below.
Coral Research
Incidences of coral disease have dramatically increased over the last two
decades. This has led to a large number of studies to document the pathology
and potential pathogens involved. Despite this research effort, only two coral
pathogens have been identified. We propose that anthropogenic stresses are
killing corals by disrupting the bacterial community associated with healthy
corals. In collaboration with Nancy Knowlton and Davey Kline, this hypothesis
is being tested by applying stresses to different coral species in the presence
and absence of antibiotics.
Our preliminary data show that many of the commonly cited stressors of
corals (e.g., nutrient, organic matter, water temperature,) kill corals under
conditions found only on heavily impacted reefs. Interestingly, coral death
induced by these treatments can be prevented with antibiotics. This strongly
suggests that stress-induced changes in the normal bacterial community, rather
than the stresses themselves are responsible for coral mortality.
Currently these experiments are being expanded to include a greater variety
of stressors (e.g., sedimentation, pesticides, and estrogen compounds) and
coral species. To test these theories and collect the necessary data we built
"SPIDERS" (Syringe Pumps that are independently Deployable for Emission and
Release of solutions). SPIDERS will be used to directly treat corals in the
field.For further information contact:
Forest Rohwer
San Diego State University
619-594-7829
forest@sunstroke.sdsu.edu
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