BRCAS

Dr. Yoko Nozawa

Ph.D Kyushu University, Japan, 2006

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Office: Greenhouse Builiding 202

Tel:+886-2-2787-1581

• Reproduction and recruitment processes of corals
• Population and community ecology of marine benthos

Research Directions

• 1.Reproduction and recruitment of corals
  Reproduction and recruitment are the initial life-stages of corals. Although the life-stages, determining the recruit number, are the key to understanding the dynamics of coral populations/communities, little is known about the stages due mainly to the difficulties of underwater surveys. As degradation of coral communities is predicted globally, as the climate change progresses, in the near future, my lab is focusing on the stages, which will improve the future prediction of corals and also provide solutions for better management/conservation of extant corals.
• 2.Population dynamics of Terpios hoshinota
  Terpios hoshinota is a black encrusting sponge, aggressively overgrowing corals. Terpios is known to have a wide distribution region in the Pacific and its outbreak has been documented at several locations including Taiwan, resulting in mass mortality of corals. In Taiwan, the outbreak of Terpios was observed for the first time at Lyudao (Green Island) and Lanyu (Orchid Island) in 2006 and, since then, Terpios maintains its populations at the islands to date. In order to understand population dynamics of Terpios, my lab is currently monitoring about 200 individual Terpios since 2009, and examining reproduction of Terpios, including gametogenesis, reproductive season, and larval release pattern.