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

PLoS ONE, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 19(7), С. e0303779 - e0303779

Опубликована: Июль 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.

Язык: Английский

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

Environmental Science & Technology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Апрель 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.

Язык: Английский

Validating the Precision and Accuracy of Coral Fragment Photogrammetry

Remote Sensing, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 16(22), С. 4274 - 4274

Опубликована: Ноя. 16, 2024

Photogrammetry is a common tool for evaluating ecosystem-scale questions on coral reefs due to the ability measure complex structures in situ. This technique also increasingly being used at smaller scales collect growth and morphometric data about individual fragments manipulative experiments. However, there are substantial uncertainties quality interpretation limited reporting of parameters useful standardization across studies. There need characterize capabilities photogrammetry as applied fragments, establish validation metrics reporting, determine sources variation measurements refine improve methods. Here, we two reef-building corals (Montipora capitata Porites compressa) known size standards evaluate accuracy precision present suggested metrics. We tiered experimental design error workflow experiment using purpose-built multi-camera workstation. demonstrate extremely high (R2 > 0.999) determining surface area volume objects, well very (average CV < 0.01) during tests reproducibility. These outcomes show utility fragment reef science approaches that can help standardize evaluation any application fragments.

Язык: Английский