Disruption is not a good thing for the web of life. It often leads to extinction.
One of the Earths most spectacular events occurs just once a year, though the timing varies depending on the reef location, is coral spawning. The phenomenon is brought about by the lunar cycle as well as water temperatures just right, which triggers the coral reef colonies to release their eggs and sperm into the ocean simultaneously. These events allow for genetic mixing and dispersal over large swathes of the surface of the sea.
NOAA explains the role of the gamete (either a sperm or an egg):
In ways that scientists still do not fully understand, mature corals release their gametes all at the same time. This synchrony is crucial, because the gametes of most coral species are viable for only a few hours. The “blizzard” makes it more likely that fertilization will occur.
The gametes, full of fatty substances called lipids, rise slowly to the ocean surface, where the process of fertilization begins.
When a coral egg and sperm join together as an embryo, they develop into a coral larva, called a planula. Planulae float in the ocean, some for days and some for weeks, before dropping to the ocean floor. Then, depending on seafloor conditions, the planulae may attach to the substrate and grow into a new coral colony at the slow rate of about .4 inches a year.
Most corals are hermaphrodites releasing a “bundle” composed of both eggs and sperm, some corals colonies though, have separate male and female corals. In either case, a mix of “smoky white clouds of sperm” and eggs float to the surface during the spawning. Once the egg reaches the surface, it breaks open and mixes with the sperm. Fertilization occurs during this small sliver of time, so synchronicity is critical to the survival of the species.
