Do multi–branched colonial organisms exceed normal growth after partial mortality?

One of the advantages of modular colonial growth is the capability to recover after partial mortality. Tolerance to partial mortality is a known property of some resistant species of plants that respond to mortality with vigorous regrowth or overcompensation. It is not clear whether modular marine invertebrates such as octocorals overcompensate. This study provides evidence that following injury to colonies (by breaking apical dominance), new growth exceeds normal rates of branching, as observed in some plants, in a degree correlated to the original multi-branched network setting (e.g. the number of original branches connected to main stem), in colonies of the Caribbean gorgonian octocoral Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata. This can be explained by the network of communicating vessels and canals inside octocoral colonies, which provide the structure for effective allocation of resources to regenerating parts.