About the Authors

Mary Hagedorn

hagedornm@si.edu

Affiliations Department of Reproductive Sciences, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America

Virginia Carter

Affiliations Department of Reproductive Sciences, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America

Kelly Martorana

Affiliations Department of Reproductive Sciences, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America

Malia K. Paresa

Affiliations Department of Reproductive Sciences, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America

Jason Acker

Affiliation Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Iliana B. Baums

Affiliation Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Eric Borneman

Affiliation Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America

Michael Brittsan

Affiliation Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell, Ohio, United States of America

Michael Byers

Affiliation General BioTechnology, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America

Michael Henley

Affiliation Invertebrate Exhibit, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Colombia, United States of America

Michael Laterveer

Affiliation Rotterdam Zoo, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Jo-Ann Leong

Affiliation Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America

Megan McCarthy

Affiliation Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America

Stuart Meyers

Affiliation Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America

Brian D. Nelson

Affiliation Fishes Department, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

Dirk Petersen

Affiliation Rotterdam Zoo, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Terrence Tiersch

Affiliation Aquaculture Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America

Rafael Cuevas Uribe

Affiliation Aquaculture Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America

Erik Woods

Affiliation General BioTechnology, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America

David Wildt

Affiliation Department of Reproductive Sciences, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America

Competing Interests

Mike Brittsan is employed by Columbus Zoo and Aquarium as a Curator, Erik Woods and Michael Byers are scientists employed by General BioTechnology, Micheal Laterveer and Dirk Petersen are Senior Aquarists employed by the Rotterdam Zoo, Brian Nelson is a Senior Aquarist employed by the Fishes Department, New England Aquarium are commercial institutions, however the Mary Hagedorn and David Wildt are Senior Scientists, Michael Henley is an animal keeper employed by the Smithsonian National Zoological Park part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian is a Trust Instrumentality which is part federal, part Trust and a 5013C. This work was funded through support from: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (grant # NA07NMF4630109 to MH; grant # NA NA08NMF4630462 to IB); National Science Foundation (OCE – 0825979 to IB); Morris Animal Foundation (grant # D07ZO-053 to MH); Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Fund (to MH); Rotterdam Zoo, Green Foundation, Clyde and Connie Woodburn Foundation (to SECORE); Smithsonian Institution, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, University of California Davis and Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). Nevertheless, this does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: M. Hagedorn VC KM MP JA MM SM TT RCU EB. Performed the experiments: M. Hagedorn VC KM MP JA MM SM TT RCU M. Byers. Analyzed the data: M. Hagedorn VC JA. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: EW M. Byers JL. Wrote the paper: M. Hagedorn VC EB IB DP TT DW. Collected coral gametes: M. Brittsan M. Henley ML BDN.