Corals that survive repeated thermal stress show signs of selection and acclimatization

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 19(7), P. e0303779 - e0303779

Published: July 31, 2024

Climate change is transforming coral reefs by increasing the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves, often leading to bleaching mortality. Coral communities have demonstrated modest increases in thermal tolerance following repeated exposure moderate heat stress, but it unclear whether these shifts represent acclimatization individual colonies or mortality thermally susceptible individuals. For corals that survive events, important understand how past responses impact future growth potential. Here, we track 1,832 leeward Maui through multiple heatwaves document patterns survivorship over a seven-year period. While find limited evidence at population scales, reduced time specific individuals indicative acclimatization, primarily stress-tolerant taxa Porites lobata . survived both no relationship between response three four studied. This decoupling suggests better indicator than coral’s history. Based on results, recommend restoration practitioners Hawaiʻi focus Montipora with proven track-record survivorship, rather devote resources toward identifying cultivating bleaching-resistant phenotypes lab. Survivorship followed latitudinal stress gradient, because this gradient was small, likely local environmental factors also drove differences performance sites. Efforts reduce human impacts low performing sites would improve future.

Language: Английский

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The influence of environmental history on the performance of Acropora cervicornis corals across a spatiotemporal gradient

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 977, P. 179385 - 179385

Published: April 14, 2025

Language: Английский

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Ex Situ Thermal Preconditioning Modulates Coral Physiology and Enhances Heat Tolerance: A Multispecies Perspective for Active Restoration

Environmental Science & Technology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 25, 2025

Global warming threatens reef-building corals by challenging their adaptive capacity. Therefore, interventions such as stress-hardening thermal preconditioning could become crucial for survival. This study aimed to systematically assess the effects of distinct regimes (stable-high at 29 °C, variable-high ± 1.5 and stable-ambient control 26 °C) on baseline physiology tolerance six stony coral species (Galaxea fascicularis, Porites rus, Acropora muricata, Montipora digitata, Pocillopora verrucosa, Stylophora pistillata) determine commonalities in responses that transcend species-specific signatures. For this, we quantified changes photosynthetic efficiency bleaching intensity before after a short-term heat stress assay up 30 days later. Stress-hardening was successful all preconditioned corals, with regime slightly outperforming stable-high regime. Preconditioning reduced response 90%, yet differed receptiveness. It also improved resilience (survival recovery), high inherent recovered better than susceptible species. Notably, both affected physiology, exclusively branching species, causing tissue paling decreased efficiency. We conclude implementing protocols requires consideration receptiveness potential physiological trade-offs.

Language: Английский

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Acclimation and size influence predation, growth, and survival of sexually produced Diploria labyrinthiformis used in restoration

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has swept through Florida reefs and caused mass mortality of numerous species. In the wake these losses, efforts are underway to propagate species impacted by SCTLD promote population recovery. However, knowledge gaps must be addressed effectively grow, outplant, restore populations slower growing, massive that were lost. Here, we used sexual recruits Diploria labyrinthiformis spawned in captivity understand how conditioning, size, nutritional status at outplanting affect survivorship, growth, susceptibility predation. We found ex situ conditioning with supplemental feeding increased growth rates, resulting larger sized corals time outplanting. turn, had higher rates field a lower probability being removed predators than outplants conditioned nurseries. Additionally, size was an important predictor suggesting hastening speed which young grow juveniles can improve restoration outcomes. Taken together, our results suggest providing food facilities confers benefits could help SCTLD.

Language: Английский

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