Touching Coral

[RICoder]

I've heard and read that coral, both hard and soft, will die from a mere touch from a person. What I'd like to know is what the real deal is with this. For example, is it only some types of coral? Is it BARE HANDS only or will it die if a person just used a finger (covered by a glove) to "push off" and avoid bottoming on a reef?

Hold off on the flames, I don't go around touching anything I see while I dive, I'm just curious.
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[bennedc]

I don't know for sure, but I think it is just some types. I had a dive master tell me once that brain coral secreted this jelly-type-stuff that has healing properties for cuts, scrapes, burns, wounds, etc. She said that you could rub the brain coral, get some of the jelly-stuff on your glove, and then apply it to the wounds and it would help them heal faster. I don't know about all of that....I did not try it. I am a "no-touch" diver myself, especially after the hubby tried to show me a fire worm once and barely touched it. He was picking spines out of his hands for 6 weeks...went right through the leather palm of his glove. DON'T TOUCH!

 

[H2Andy]

well... basically, coral will be damaged by touch. how much damage depends on
the coral species, the severity of the contact, and how much stress the coral is
under to begin with.

you can kill areas of coral growth by touching, bumping, or even getting sand
onto the coral. if you damage or remove the mucous membrane around coral
(they do have it), the damage is going to be worse. you will certainly leave
the coral weaker, and succeptible to overgrowth or predation.

basically, don't touch. you can't do any good.

 

[RICoder]

Interesting stuff so far...I actually went and bought a book...maybe I'll share some info when I'm done reading.

 

[isurus]

Some aquarists propagate some hard corals by snapping bits off with pliers and gluing them onto a new rock or soft corals by cutting them up with scissors. I think from this we can take it that a touch doesn't necessary kill a coral.

It certainly can though, and any coral which is knocked off its anchor point in the ocean is probably done for. I think dive shops propagate the story cos it suits their purpose of convincing divers to stay off of coral and because they believe it themselves.

 

[maractwin]

As someone who's kept live coral in aquariums for years, I've got some experience with this.

A single light touch is unlikely to kill a coral. Sand and other detritus (think parrotfish poops) get dropped on them all the time. And numerous fish take small bits out of coral. But all of this activity can stress the animal. If the mucous layer is scraped off, or the tissue torn, a healthy coral will likely recover, but may get a bacterial infection.

However, if a coral isn't otherwise healthy (maybe it's stressed from heat or pollution), then it is less likely to heal. And if it is continually abused, at some point it can't heal fast enough and will likely sucumb to infection.

A big part of the problem with divers touching corals is that the same ones get touched over and over. The one a couple feet in front of the rare fish that the divemaster points out to the group. The one on the down-current side of that swimthrough. And then there are novice divers who aren't just going to lightly touch it, but bump hard enough to break pieces off.

A broken coral isn't necessarily doomed. It's a form of reproduction that happens frequently on the reef. If the piece that was broken off lands so that it is not entirely shaded, nor smothered in sand, it may well survive and eventually grow into a new colonly. Of course, many places where a coral fragment might fall, it won't get enough light or water movement, and will die.

So one person touching something probably won't kill it, but there is damage being done. Best not to touch anything, so that the reef will look at good tomorrow as it does today.

-Mark

 

[EZHOOPS]

If you can help it you should never touch any type of coral for your safety and the corals. Most corals will not Die from a light touch, it may do some damage but please avoid touching them if you can help it.

 

[ehuber]

This question appeared on another forum at this site. My person belief is that although some forms of marine life can handle gentle touching, the average person does not have the expertise to decide what is appropriate. Therefore, instructors --hopefully-- have the sense to realize this and teach everyone to "look but don't touch" or the reef systems will continue to die away.

I would be angry at a divemaster who gave permission --or allowed it without severely chastising-- to their students/guests to do so. It would seem a very selfish and monetary-motivated way to promote their business to compromise the world's reef systems. This is why humans are the world's most feared predators, because we are the only species that would compromise another for frivolous reasons.

Besides... why does anyone NEED to touch anything anyway?

 

[gangrel441]

A broken coral isn't necessarily doomed. It's a form of reproduction that happens frequently on the reef. If the piece that was broken off lands so that it is not entirely shaded, nor smothered in sand, it may well survive and eventually grow into a new colonly. Of course, many places where a coral fragment might fall, it won't get enough light or water movement, and will die.

This brings up an interesting question that you may be in a rather unique position to answer. If we come across a piece of hard coral that has been recently broken off and is still alive, but has fallen into a heavily sanded area between coral heads and is mostly shaded, would it do any good to reposition this piece so it would have a better chance to survive and form a new colony? If so, how would you recommend repositioning it? On a dead part of the reef, perhaps, or sanding up from the sand, etc..

 

[fishb0y]

Would you stop a larger fish from eating a smaller one or let nature take its course? Same thing in my opinion.