A method for determining the surface area of corals

Although there are several techniques available that can accurately determine the surface area of simple branching corals, there is an absence of techniques that can be applied to finely branching species like Pocillopora damicornis. This paper describes a rapid, spectrophotometer-based technique that can accurately determine the surface area of a range of coral species, including P. damicornis. The technique involves dipping corals coated with plastic varnish into a solution that contains a small amount of detergent and the dye Methylene Blue. The amount of dye solution clinging to the surfaces (as a thinlayer) is proportional to the total surface area.