Environmental, host, and symbiont drivers of heat tolerance in a species complex of reef-building corals

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

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

Abstract Reef-building coral populations are under unprecedented threat from climate warming. Yet, variation in heat tolerance exists whereby some colonies can cope with higher sea temperatures than others and thus may hold unique value for conservation restoration. Here, we quantify of an ecologically important tabular species complex across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) while also measuring genomic host symbiont partners. Coral bleaching photochemical traits were measured 569 within Acropora hyacinthus 17 reefs following exposure to standardized acute stress assays. We detected substantial tolerance, where individual colony thermal thresholds differed by up 7.3°C 5.7°C among reefs, respectively. Sea surface temperature climatology was strongest predictor warmer northern inshore typically exhibited highest thresholds, cooler southern able tolerate greater increases relative their local summer temperatures. Heat positively associated weeks preceding measurements. Assignment clusters revealed four putative A. that did not vary responses experimental stress. Symbiodiniaceae communities comprised primarily Cladocopium ITS2 variants spatially but had minimal effect on tolerance. Between 36 - 80% explained environmental, host, predictors, leaving 20 64% be additional underlying drivers such as functional here. These results used inform restoration actions, including targeting tolerant individuals selective breeding, will provide a foundation evaluating basis

Language: Английский

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Contrasting effects of increasing dissolved iron on photosynthesis and O₂ availability in the gastric cavity of two Mediterranean corals

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12, P. e17259 - e17259

Published: April 29, 2024

Iron (Fe) plays a fundamental role in coral symbiosis, supporting photosynthesis, respiration, and many important enzymatic reactions. However, the extent to which corals are limited by Fe their metabolic responses inorganic enrichment remains be understood. We used respirometry, variable chlorophyll fluorescence, O

Language: Английский

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Symbiont Community Changes Confer Fitness Benefits for Larvae in a Vertically Transmitting Coral

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Coral reefs worldwide are threatened by increasing ocean temperatures because of the sensitivity coral‐algal symbiosis to thermal stress. Reef‐building corals form symbiotic relationships with dinoflagellates (family Symbiodiniaceae), including those species which acquire their initial symbiont complement predominately from parents. Changes in composition communities, through mechanisms shuffling or switching, can modulate host's limits. However, role coral acclimatization heat is understudied offspring and date has largely focused on adults. To quantify potential fitness benefits consequences changes communities under a simulated heatwave early life‐history stages, we exposed larvae juveniles widespread, vertically transmitting coral, Montipora digitata , stress (32°C) tracked growth, survival, photosynthetic efficiency, community over time relative controls. We found negative impacts warming all fitness‐related traits, varied significantly among larval families across stages. Larvae that survived exposure exhibited favored symbionts canonically more tolerant. Compared larvae, showed rapid mortality were fixed regardless temperature treatment, suggesting an inability alter as acclimatory response Taken together, these findings suggest capacity for may be modified ontogeny, juvenile life stage less flexible at risk climate this species.

Language: Английский

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Resolving Symbiodiniaceae Diversity Across Coral Microhabitats and Reef Niches

Environmental Microbiology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 27(3)

Published: March 1, 2025

Dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae are important symbionts diverse marine animals and they also occupy different environmental niches on coral reefs. The link between diversity at ecosystem-scale to microhabitats within holobiont is largely unknown. Using ITS2-amplicon sequencing, we compared communities across four environments (seawater, near-reef vs. distant sediments turf algae) two (tissue, mucus) a reef in Red Sea. We found that habitats were both dominated by genera Symbiodinium, Cladocopium Durusdinium, but additionally harboured Fugacium, Gerakladium Halluxium. Each habitat distinct community. Nonetheless, 17 ITS2 sequences shared among part nearly half type profiles coral-based communities. Tissues mucus 49 colonies from had identical Together with large difference those tissue mucus, our results indicate clear barrier host-associated marked only few complete profiles. Monitoring after sampling confirmed its suitability for long-term monitoring coral-associated

Language: Английский

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Effects of life history strategy on the diversity and composition of the coral holobiont communities of Sabah, Malaysia

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Feb. 6, 2025

Coral-associated microbes have essential roles in promoting and regulating host function health. As climate change advances other environmental perturbations increasingly impact corals, it is becoming ever more important that we understand the composition of microbial communities hosted. Without this baseline impossible to assess magnitude direction any future changes community structure. Here, characterised both bacterial Symbiodiniaceae four coral species (Diploastrea heliopora, Porites lutea, Pachyseris speciosa, Pocillopora acuta) collected from Sabah, Malaysia. Our findings reveal distinct associated with different tending reflect varied life history strategies their hosts. Microbial could be differentiated by collection site, shifts towards stress tolerant types seen samples on shallow Sunda Shelf. Additionally, identified a core microbiome within discrete between all species. We show are structured appear influenced characteristics. Furthermore, for each finding several amplicon sequence variants were shared hosts, suggests key role health regardless identity. Given paucity work performed megadiverse regions such as Coral Triangle, research takes increased importance our efforts how holobiont functions altered advances.

Language: Английский

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Symbiodiniaceae

Coral reefs of the world, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 9 - 23

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

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Introduction to Coral Reef Microbiome

Coral reefs of the world, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 3 - 6

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Global Free‐Living Symbiodiniaceae Biodiversity Mirrors Local Environments

Journal of Biogeography, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 7, 2025

ABSTRACT Aim For free‐living Symbiodiniaceae, we aim to synthesise current knowledge, identify gaps in our understanding of biogeography and conduct the first quantitative genetic analysis at a global scale. Location Global. Taxon Free‐living dinoflagellates Family Symbiodiniaceae. Methods Publicly available sequences were used characterise Symbiodiniaceae community environment. Using ITS2 marker combined with DADA2 pipeline, amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) assess diversity, abundance distribution patterns from local scales. Results Relative abundances, composition diversity differed significantly between wider Caribbean Indo‐Pacific, within across three study regions: Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) Moorea French Polynesia. assemblage was most different GBR FGBNMS, dominance Cladocopium Breviolum FGBNMS. There also significant variability these regions, as shown through beta dispersion test. The highest indices found GBR, followed by Main Conclusions We locations Importantly, mirrored local‐scale patterns. These biogeographical hospite symbiont With studies highlight need for expanded sampling efforts unexplored regions such Indian Ocean. Given potentially role coral acclimation climate change, identifying protecting taxa should be conservation priority.

Language: Английский

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Filamentous virus-like particles are present in coral dinoflagellates across genera and ocean basins

The ISME Journal, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 17(12), P. 2389 - 2402

Published: Nov. 1, 2023

Filamentous viruses are hypothesized to play a role in stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) through infection of the endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Family Symbiodiniaceae) corals. To evaluate this hypothesis, it is critical understand global distribution filamentous virus infections across genetic diversity Symbiodiniaceae hosts. Using transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate that virus-like particles (VLPs) present over 60% cells (genus Cladocopium) within Pacific corals (Acropora hyacinthus, Porites c.f. lobata); these VLPs more prevalent situ colonies experiencing heat stress. expelled from A. hyacinthus also contain VLPs, and degraded than their hospite counterparts. Similar reported SCTLD-affected Caribbean reefs, range ~150 1500 nm length 16-37 diameter appear constitute various stages replication cycle. Finally, containing dominated by diverse lineages genera Breviolum, Cladocopium, Durusdinium. Although study cannot definitively confirm or refute SCTLD, demonstrates not solely observed reef regions, nor they associated with members particular genus. We hypothesize widespread, common group infects Symbiodiniaceae. Genomic characterization empirical tests impacts on should be prioritized.

Language: Английский

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Multi-Chemical Omics Analysis of the Symbiodiniaceae Durusdinium trenchii under Heat Stress

Microorganisms, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12(2), P. 317 - 317

Published: Feb. 2, 2024

The urgency of responding to climate change for corals necessitates the exploration innovative methods swiftly enhance our understanding crucial processes. In this study, we employ an integrated chemical omics approach, combining elementomics, metabolomics, and volatilomics methodologies unravel biochemical pathways associated with thermal response coral symbiont, Symbiodiniaceae

Language: Английский

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