AlexPrieto

Senior Research Aquarist at KAUST, with interest in understanding coral reef ecosystems. Working on coral reproduction and coral reef restoration.

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🪸Proud and grateful to be part of these coral research projects!🪸😄
You can watch the full episode here 👉🏼
https://t.co/CeHeCT8JGc
@NatGeo @RSRC_KAUST
#redsea #coralreef

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🪸5years at KAUST come to an end!✨I’m moving on feeling very happy with everything achieved.Huge thanks to everyone I have been working side-by-side on these projects—we’ve done some amazing things together!😊The next chapter starts very soon and I can’t wait to get going!🌏✈️

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

It depends on the species. In this case, they were all settled in the next day

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🪸3 days after spawning, these tiny Galaxea larvae are on a mission: to find the perfect place to settle and begin their life as coral polyps. Off they go!✨

#coralreproduction #coralspawning #marinescience #coralreef #coral #marinebiology #CoralSymbiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

Busy weeks at work!🪸🔬👨‍🔬
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#coralreef #coralspawning #marinescience #coralreproduction #coral #coralsymbiomixlab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

@fakhrurr_ozi It’s a time-lapse :)

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

Coral larvae ready to go!🪸

#coralreproduction #coralspawning #marinescience #coralreef #coral #marinebiology #CoralSymbiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🪸Look at these tiny Platygyra recruits, just 20 days after spawning! You can see the detailed morphology of their tentacles taking shape.👽

#coralreproduction #coralspawning #marinescience #coralreef #coral #marinebiology #CoralSymbiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

I don’t know what it is about this picture, but I’m completely hypnotized by this little Galaxea polyp 🪸✨

#coralreproduction #coralspawning #marinescience #coralreef #coral #marinebiology #CoralSymbiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🪸And just like that, the third season of coral spawning 2025 is officially underway! 🎉 Of course, it had to happen on a weekend. 😂

#coralreproduction #coralspawning #marinescience #coralreef #coral #marinebiology #CoralSymbiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🪸Time-lapse of our 4-months-old Galaxea babies. With the right light and an optical filter, it’s possible to see the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the progressive accumulation of symbionts (the red dots)
#coralreef #marinescience #coral #coralspawning #CoralSymBiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

@GerardRicardo01 Wow, that's really interesting! I’ve not seen the polar bodies, but I think I might have observed in some eggs that the first cleavage furrow does appear to originate where a sperm clot was. I'll keep a closer eye on this during future spawns. Thanks for bringing it up!

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🪸Acropora hemprichii
1.Sperm attempting to fertilise eggs.
2.First cell divide after fertilisation.
#CoralSymBiomiXLab
#coralspawning #coralreproduction #coral #marineresearch #coralreef

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

@fakhrurr_ozi Yes, some of our systems are programmed to induce spawning during midday instead of at night :)

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

Cause corals don’t know about our days off (or do they…?)🤔😂 Galaxeas’ turn. Interesting split spawning observations in some colonies.🪸
#coralspawning #coralreproduction #coralreef #marinebiology
#CoralSymBiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

Busy these last nights indeed!🔥Alongside more Acropora spawning events, the Platygyras decided to join the party!🪸
#coralspawning #coralreef #coralreproduction #marinebiology
#CoralSymBiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

Night three of Acropora spawning watch! 🤩 So many unforgettable moments – definitely worth the lack of sleep!
#CoralSymBiomiXLab
#coralspawning #coralreef #coralreproduction

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

The second night promises to be busy!🪸😄 #coralspawning #coralreef
#CoralSymBiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

The night is just beginning!!🪸
#coralspawning #coralreef
#CoralSymBiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

@fakhrurr_ozi We expect it will be in April

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

🌕🪸Our Acropora hemprichii colonies are showing signs of egg development! Let the countdown begin!⏰
#coralspawning
#CoralSymBiomiXLab

[AlexPrieto @Alex_prie]

@fakhrurr_ozi They are colonies that we have had in our display tanks for about five years now :)