Rich Ross

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Spectacular video by Richard Ross of Philippine soft coral spawning event

From Advanced Aquarist blog

A team from California Academy of Sciences’ Steinhart Aquarium (including Advanced Aquarist writers/biologists Richard Ross and Matt Wandell) is currently at work in the Philippines. Thus far, they’ve managed to observe (and capture on video) many corals spawning. Today, Richard Ross posted their latest video of a Cespitularia soft coral spawning event taking place right now.

Biologists from Steinhart Aquarium collect coral gametes

On May 8, Richard Ross announced in Advanced Aquarist that Steinhart biologists were heading out into the field for “the most comprehensive scientific survey effort ever conducted in the Philippines.”

On their very first day of their expedition, Steinhart aquarists chance upon an Acropora spawning event and reported back two wonderful videos from their night dive (read Matt Wandell’s blog to watch the videos and to learn more about the SECORE (SExual COral REproduction) gamete-collecting initiative).

We now get word the team has produced yet another video, this time of soft coral spawning.  The video shows biologists collecting soft coral gametes.  These gametes will be carefully held until they are fertilized and ready to settle in captivity.  Watch the video below.

http://vimeo.com/24080492

We eagerly await reports from the Steinhart team when they return.  Great work, guys!