Gerardia sp. （來(lái)源：OAR/National Undersea Research Program (NURP); Hawaii Undersea Research Lab J. Moore）
科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)了兩種深海珊瑚物種可能比此前認(rèn)為的更老，壽命超過(guò)4000年。
Brendan Roark及其同事利用放射性碳測(cè)量技術(shù)測(cè)量了來(lái)自夏威夷附近海底收集的珊瑚樣本,，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)兩種珊瑚物種（Gerardia sp. 和 Leiopathes sp.）的生長(zhǎng)速率比用這類(lèi)生物的生長(zhǎng)帶預(yù)計(jì)的生長(zhǎng)速率更慢,。他們的分析提示這兩種深海珊瑚的壽命分別是2742年和4265年。此前對(duì)太平洋樣本的壽命的測(cè)量依靠的是被認(rèn)為是年度生長(zhǎng)環(huán)的計(jì)數(shù),，它提示金珊瑚（Gerardia sp.）的最大年齡接近70歲,。這組作者測(cè)量了這種珊瑚的蛋白質(zhì)骨骼的年齡，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)這些珊瑚的生長(zhǎng)速率比此前的測(cè)年技術(shù)所顯示的更慢,。他們的結(jié)果顯示L. glaberrima可能是已知最年老的有骨骼的海洋生物,。
這組作者得出結(jié)論說(shuō)，這些珊瑚極老的年齡和緩慢的生長(zhǎng)速度，再加上深海珊瑚床周?chē)母叨壬锒鄻有?，凸顯了需要保護(hù)珊瑚礁不受底層捕撈業(yè)的進(jìn)一步破壞,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
PNAS March 23, 2009, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0810875106
Extreme longevity in proteinaceous deep-sea corals
E. Brendan Roarka,1,2, Thomas P. Guildersonb,c, Robert B. Dunbara, Stewart J. Fallonb,3 and David A. Mucciaronea
aEnvironmental Earth Systems Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305;
bCenter for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, LLNL, L-397 7000 East Avenue, Livermore CA 94551; and
cDepartment of Ocean Sciences and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz CA 95064
Deep-sea corals are found on hard substrates on seamounts and continental margins worldwide at depths of 300 to ≈3,000 m. Deep-sea coral communities are hotspots of deep ocean biomass and biodiversity, providing critical habitat for fish and invertebrates. Newly applied radiocarbon age dates from the deep water proteinaceous corals Gerardia sp. and Leiopathes sp. show that radial growth rates are as low as 4 to 35 μm year−1 and that individual colony longevities are on the order of thousands of years. The longest-lived Gerardia sp. and Leiopathessp. specimens were 2,742 years and 4,265 years, respectively. The management and conservation of deep-sea coral communities is challenged by their commercial harvest for the jewelry trade and damage caused by deep-water fishing practices. In light of their unusual longevity, a better understanding of deep-sea coral ecology and their interrelationships with associated benthic communities is needed to inform coherent international conservation strategies for these important deep-sea habitat-forming species.
