Protein signatures predict coral resilience and survival to thermal bleaching events

Communications Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 6(1)

Published: March 8, 2025

Language: Английский

---

The Costs and Benefits of Environmental Memory for Reef-Building Corals Coping with Recurring Marine Heatwaves

Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 62(6), P. 1748 - 1755

Published: June 6, 2022

Marine heatwaves are occurring more frequently as climate change intensifies, resulting in global mass coral bleaching events several times per decade. Despite the time between marine decreasing, there is evidence that reef-building corals can develop increased resistance across repetitive heatwaves. This phenomenon of acclimatization via environmental memory may be an important strategy to ensure persistence; however, we still understand very little about apparent or, conversely, sensitization (i.e., stress accumulation or weakening) consecutive and its implications for trajectory resilience reefs. Here, highlight not only will some become hardened heatwaves, but many other individuals suffer during repeat further exacerbates their response depresses fitness. Under current predicted change, it necessary gain a better understanding vs. trajectories different species on reef, well identify whether changes susceptibility relates physiological acclimatization, trade-offs with biological processes, ultimately persistence Anthropocene.

Language: Английский

---

Trade-offs in a reef-building coral after six years of thermal acclimation

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 949, P. 174589 - 174589

Published: July 7, 2024

There is growing evidence that reef-building corals can acclimate to novel and challenging thermal conditions. However, potential trade-offs accompany acclimation remain largely unexplored. We investigated physiological in colonies of a globally abundant coral species (Pocillopora acuta) were acclimated ex situ an elevated temperature 31 °C (i.e., 1 above their bleaching threshold) for six years. By comparing them conspecifics maintained at cooler temperature, we found the energy storage was prioritized over skeletal growth temperature. This associated with formation higher density skeletons, lower calcification rates consequently extension rates, which entails ramifications future processes, structural complexity reef community composition. Furthermore, symbionts physiologically compromised had overall reserves, likely due increased exploitation by host, resulting stress resilience holobiont. Our study shows how biological unfold, helping refine our picture trajectories. Importantly, observations this six-year do not align short-term studies, where temperatures often depletion highlighting importance studying organisms relevant scales.

Language: Английский

---

Experimental coral reef communities transform yet persist under mitigated future ocean warming and acidification

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 121(45)

Published: Oct. 29, 2024

Coral reefs are among the most sensitive ecosystems affected by ocean warming and acidification, predicted to collapse over next few decades. Reefs shift from net accreting calcifier-dominated systems with exceptionally high biodiversity eroding algal-dominated dramatically reduced biodiversity. Here, we present a two-year experimental study examining responses of entire mesocosm coral reef communities (+2 °C), acidification (-0.2 pH units), combined future °C, -0.2 pH) treatments. Contrary modeled projections, show that under conditions, these structure composition yet persist as novel calcifying Our results suggest if climate change is limited Paris Climate Agreement targets, could in an altered state rather than collapse.

Language: Английский

---

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

---

Thermal priming and bleaching hormesis in the staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck 1816)

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 560, P. 151820 - 151820

Published: Dec. 5, 2022

Language: Английский

---

Resilience in a time of stress: revealing the molecular underpinnings of coral survival following thermal bleaching events

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 3, 2024

Coral bleaching events from thermal stress are increasing globally in duration, frequency, and intensity. Bleaching occurs when a coral's algal symbionts expelled, resulting loss of color. Some coral colonies survive bleaching, reacquire their recover. In this study, we experimentally bleached Montipora capitata to examine molecular physiological signatures intrinsic differences between corals that recover (resilient) compared those die (susceptible). All were collected the same bay monitored for eight months post-bleaching identify specific exhibiting long-term resilience survival. Using an integrated systems-biology approach included quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics, 16S rRNA microbiome, total lipids, symbiont density diversity, explored molecular-level mechanisms tolerance pre- post-bleached found biomarkers can confidently resilient susceptible before thermal-induced events. Prior stress, characterized by more diverse microbiome increased abundances proteins involved multiple carbon nitrogen acquisition strategies, retention acquisition, pathogen resistance. Susceptible had early signs rejection resorted utilizing urea uptake pathways nitrogen. Further, identified prior amplified after suggesting these may be deterministic colony's fate. Our results have important implications future reefs, revealing factors necessary survival through thermally-induced providing diagnostic reef management.

Language: Английский

---

Widespread scope for coral adaptation under combined ocean warming and acidification

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 291(2031)

Published: Sept. 1, 2024

Reef-building coral populations are at serious risk of collapse due to the combined effects ocean warming and acidification. Nonetheless, many corals show potential adapt changing conditions. Here we examine broad sense heritability (H 2 ) calcification rates across an ecologically phylogenetically diverse sampling eight primary reef-building Indo-Pacific. We that all species exhibit relatively high under acidification (0.23–0.56). Furthermore, tolerance each factor is positively correlated two factors do not interact in most species, contrary idea trade-offs between temperature pH sensitivity, can co-evolve elevated reduced pH. Using these values together with historical data, estimate increases thermal 1.0–1.7°C over next 50 years, depending on species. None probably capable keeping up a global change scenario climate mitigation essential if reefs persist. Such estimates critical for our understanding how may respond change, accurately parametrizing modelled responses, predicting rapid evolution.

Language: Английский

---

Ex situ spawning, larval development, and settlement in massive reef‐building corals (Porites) in Palau

Invertebrate Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Oct. 28, 2024

Abstract Reproduction, embryological development, and settlement of corals are critical for survival coral reefs through larval propagation. Yet, many species corals, a basic understanding the early life‐history stages is lacking. In this study, we report our observations ex situ reproduction in massive reef‐building Porites cf. P. lobata across 2 years. Spawning occurred April May, on first day after full moon with at least h darkness between sunset moonrise, rising tide. Only small proportion observed had mature gametes or spawned (14–35%). Eggs were 185–311 μm diameter, spherical, homogenous, provisioned 95–155 algal cells (family Symbiodiniaceae). Males before females, fertilization rates high egg release. Larvae elliptical, ~300 long, symbiotic. Just days fertilization, larvae swam near bottom culture dishes competent to settle. Settlers began calcification metamorphosis, tentacles developed 10 attachment. Our contrast previous studies by suggesting an abbreviated pelagic period , which could lead isolation some populations. The thermal tolerance broad geographic range suggest that locally adapt wide environmental conditions, especially if retained. results study can inform future work reproduction, biology, dispersal, recruitment have ecological advantage over less resilient under climate change.

Language: Английский

---

Fertilisation kinetics among common Indo-Pacific broadcast spawning corals with distinct and shared functional traits

Coral Reefs, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 42(6), P. 1351 - 1363

Published: Oct. 28, 2023

Abstract Indo-Pacific corals predominantly reproduce using synchronous mass spawning events to maximise fertilisation. However, as disturbances continue thin population densities, the quantities of gametes released declines and colonies become more isolated, reducing likelihood cross-fertilisation. Local hydrodynamic conditions can promote or inhibit gamete contact; thus, interaction between abiotic environment sperm density will determine amount time interact. In this study, we investigated sensitivity reproduction manipulations two key limiting factors fertilisation: concentration contact gametes. We explored fertilisation kinetics phylogenetically functionally similar diverse coral taxa on Great Barrier Reef Western Australia ( Acropora digitifera, A. tenuis ; Coelastrea aspera, Platygyra daedalea ). Results indicate that is optimised at concentrations > 10 3 mL −1 times 30 s, but extent these relationships species-specific. All species showed clear differences in success across times, although were less distinct for P. very high concentrations. digitifera exhibited nonlinear trends with steep slopes increased once surpassed values 4 2 , respectively, followed by slight declines. had highest maximum success, likely owing beneficial evolved functional traits like large egg sizes. The present analysis underpins studies natural reef populations help inform management restoration practices assist resilience recovery.

Language: Английский

---