1
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Erlichman A, Sandell L, Otto SP, Aitken SN, Ronce O. Planting long-lived trees in a warming climate: Theory shows the importance of stage-dependent climatic tolerance. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13711. [PMID: 38894979 PMCID: PMC11183180 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change poses a particular threat to long-lived trees, which may not adapt or migrate fast enough to keep up with rising temperatures. Assisted gene flow could facilitate adaptation of populations to future climates by using managed translocation of seeds from a warmer location (provenance) within the current range of a species. Finding the provenance that will perform best in terms of survival or growth is complicated by a trade-off. Because trees face a rapidly changing climate during their long lives, the alleles that confer optimal performance may vary across their lifespan. For instance, trees from warmer provenances could be well adapted as adults but suffer from colder temperatures while juvenile. Here we use a stage-structured model, using both analytical predictions and numerical simulations, to determine which provenance would maximize the survival of a cohort of long-lived trees in a changing climate. We parameterize our simulations using empirically estimated demographic transition matrices for 20 long-lived tree species. Unable to find reliable quantitative estimates of how climatic tolerance changes across stages in these same species, we varied this parameter to study its effect. Both our mathematical model and simulations predict that the best provenance depends strongly on how fast the climate changes and also how climatic tolerance varies across the lifespan of a tree. We thus call for increased empirical efforts to measure how climate tolerance changes over life in long-lived species, as our model suggests that it should strongly influence the best provenance for assisted gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adèle Erlichman
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Linnea Sandell
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Organismal BiologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
- Department of Urban and Rural DevelopmentSwedish University of AgricultureUppsalaSweden
| | - Sarah P. Otto
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Sally N. Aitken
- Department of Forest and Conservation SciencesUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Ophélie Ronce
- ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IRDMontpellierFrance
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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2
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Scott CB, Ostling A, Matz MV. Should I stay or should I go? Coral bleaching from the symbionts' perspective. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14429. [PMID: 38690608 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Coral bleaching, the stress-induced breakdown of coral-algal symbiosis, threatens reefs globally. Paradoxically, despite adverse fitness effects, corals bleach annually, even outside of abnormal temperatures. This generally occurs shortly after the once-per-year mass coral spawning. Here, we propose a hypothesis linking annual coral bleaching and the transmission of symbionts to the next generation of coral hosts. We developed a dynamic model with two symbiont growth strategies, and found that high sexual recruitment and low adult coral survivorship and growth favour bleaching susceptibility, while the reverse promotes bleaching resilience. Otherwise, unexplained trends in the Indo-Pacific align with our hypothesis, where reefs and coral taxa exhibiting higher recruitment are more bleaching susceptible. The results from our model caution against interpreting potential shifts towards more bleaching-resistant symbionts as evidence of climate adaptation-we predict such a shift could also occur in declining systems experiencing low recruitment rates, a common scenario on today's reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly B Scott
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Annette Ostling
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Mikhail V Matz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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3
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Selmoni O, Bay LK, Exposito-Alonso M, Cleves PA. Finding genes and pathways that underlie coral adaptation. Trends Genet 2024; 40:213-227. [PMID: 38320882 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Mass coral bleaching is one of the clearest threats of climate change to the persistence of marine biodiversity. Despite the negative impacts of bleaching on coral health and survival, some corals may be able to rapidly adapt to warming ocean temperatures. Thus, a significant focus in coral research is identifying the genes and pathways underlying coral heat adaptation. Here, we review state-of-the-art methods that may enable the discovery of heat-adaptive loci in corals and identify four main knowledge gaps. To fill these gaps, we describe an experimental approach combining seascape genomics with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to discover and validate heat-adaptive loci. Finally, we discuss how information on adaptive genotypes could be used in coral reef conservation and management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Selmoni
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Line K Bay
- Reef Recovery, Adaptation, and Restoration, Australian Institute of Marine Science; Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
| | - Moises Exposito-Alonso
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Phillip A Cleves
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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4
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Quigley KM. Breeding and Selecting Corals Resilient to Global Warming. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2024; 12:209-332. [PMID: 37931139 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-021122-093315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Selective breeding of resilient organisms is an emerging topic in marine conservation. It can help us predict how species will adapt in the future and how we can help restore struggling populations effectively in the present. Scleractinian corals represent a potential tractable model system given their widescale phenotypic plasticity across fitness-related traits and a reproductive life history based on mass synchronized spawning. Here, I explore the justification for breeding in corals, identify underutilized pathways of acclimation, and highlight avenues for quantitative targeted breeding from the coral host and symbiont perspective. Specifically, the facilitation of enhanced heat tolerance by targeted breeding of plasticity mechanisms is underutilized. Evidence from theoretical genetics identifies potential pitfalls, including inattention to physical and genetic characteristics of the receiving environment. Three criteria for breeding emerge from this synthesis: selection from warm, variable reefs that have survived disturbance. This information will be essential to protect what we have and restore what we can.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Quigley
- The Minderoo Foundation, Perth, Western Australia, Australia;
- James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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5
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Schiebelhut LM, Guillaume AS, Kuhn A, Schweizer RM, Armstrong EE, Beaumont MA, Byrne M, Cosart T, Hand BK, Howard L, Mussmann SM, Narum SR, Rasteiro R, Rivera-Colón AG, Saarman N, Sethuraman A, Taylor HR, Thomas GWC, Wellenreuther M, Luikart G. Genomics and conservation: Guidance from training to analyses and applications. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13893. [PMID: 37966259 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change is intensifying the biodiversity crisis and threatening species across the tree of life. Conservation genomics can help inform conservation actions and slow biodiversity loss. However, more training, appropriate use of novel genomic methods and communication with managers are needed. Here, we review practical guidance to improve applied conservation genomics. We share insights aimed at ensuring effectiveness of conservation actions around three themes: (1) improving pedagogy and training in conservation genomics including for online global audiences, (2) conducting rigorous population genomic analyses properly considering theory, marker types and data interpretation and (3) facilitating communication and collaboration between managers and researchers. We aim to update students and professionals and expand their conservation toolkit with genomic principles and recent approaches for conserving and managing biodiversity. The biodiversity crisis is a global problem and, as such, requires international involvement, training, collaboration and frequent reviews of the literature and workshops as we do here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Schiebelhut
- Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, California, USA
| | - Annie S Guillaume
- Geospatial Molecular Epidemiology group (GEOME), Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry (LGB), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Arianna Kuhn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville, Virginia, USA
| | - Rena M Schweizer
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | | | - Mark A Beaumont
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Margaret Byrne
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ted Cosart
- Flathead Lake Biology Station, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Brian K Hand
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, Montana, USA
| | - Leif Howard
- Flathead Lake Biology Station, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Steven M Mussmann
- Southwestern Native Aquatic Resources and Recovery Center, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Dexter, New Mexico, USA
| | - Shawn R Narum
- Hagerman Genetics Lab, University of Idaho, Hagerman, Idaho, USA
| | - Rita Rasteiro
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Angel G Rivera-Colón
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Norah Saarman
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Arun Sethuraman
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Helen R Taylor
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Gregg W C Thomas
- Informatics Group, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Maren Wellenreuther
- Plant and Food Research, Nelson, New Zealand
- University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gordon Luikart
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
- Flathead Lake Biology Station, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
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6
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Meziere Z, Popovic I, Prata K, Ryan I, Pandolfi J, Riginos C. Exploring coral speciation: Multiple sympatric Stylophora pistillata taxa along a divergence continuum on the Great Barrier Reef. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13644. [PMID: 38283599 PMCID: PMC10818133 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how biodiversity originates and is maintained are fundamental challenge in evolutionary biology. Speciation is a continuous process and progression along this continuum depends on the interplay between evolutionary forces driving divergence and forces promoting genetic homogenisation. Coral reefs are broadly connected yet highly heterogeneous ecosystems, and divergence with gene flow at small spatial scales might therefore be common. Genomic studies are increasingly revealing the existence of closely related and sympatric taxa within taxonomic coral species, but the extent to which these taxa might still be exchanging genes and sharing environmental niches is unclear. In this study, we sampled extensively across diverse habitats at multiple reefs of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and comprehensively examined genome-wide diversity and divergence histories within and among taxa of the Stylophora pistillata species complex. S. pistillata is one of the most abundant and well-studied coral species, yet we discovered five distinct taxa, with wide geographic ranges and extensive sympatry. Demographic modelling showed that speciation events have occurred with gene flow and that taxa are at different stages along a divergence continuum. We found significant correlations between genetic divergence and specific environmental variables, suggesting that niche partitioning may have played a role in speciation and that S. pistillata taxa might be differentially adapted to different environments. Conservation actions rely on estimates of species richness, population sizes and species ranges, which are biased if divergent taxa are lumped together. As coral reefs are rapidly degrading due to climate change, our study highlights the importance of recognising evolutionarily distinct and differentially adapted coral taxa to improve conservation and restoration efforts aiming at protecting coral genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Meziere
- School of the EnvironmentThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Iva Popovic
- School of the EnvironmentThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Katharine Prata
- School of the EnvironmentThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Isobel Ryan
- School of the EnvironmentThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - John Pandolfi
- School of the EnvironmentThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Cynthia Riginos
- School of the EnvironmentThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
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7
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Longley R, Benucci GMN, Pochon X, Bonito G, Bonito V. Species-specific coral microbiome assemblages support host bleaching resistance during an extreme marine heatwave. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167803. [PMID: 37838063 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Scleractinian assemblages are threatened by marine heat waves with coral survivorship depending on host genetics and microbiome composition. We documented an extreme marine heat wave in Fiji and the response of corals in two thermally stressed reef flats. Through high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S and ITS rDNA phylogenetic markers, we assessed coral microbiomes (Symbiodiniaceae, prokaryotes, fungi, and Apicomplexa) of paired bleached and unbleached colonies of four common coral species representative of dominant genera in the South Pacific. While all coral species exhibited one or more pathways to bleaching resistance, harboring assemblages composed primarily of thermally tolerant photosymbionts did not always result in host bleaching resistance. Montipora and Pocillopora species, which associate with diverse Symbiodiniaceae and vertically transmit their photosymbionts, fared better than Acropora, which acquire their photosymbionts from the environment, and Porites, which associate with a narrow photosymbiont assemblage. Prokaryotic and fungal beta diversity did not differ between bleached and unbleached conspecifics, however, the relative abundance of the fungus Malassezia globosa was significantly greater in unbleached colonies of Montipora digitata. Each coral species harbored distinct assemblages of Symbiodiniaceae, prokaryotes, and Apicomplexa, but not fungi, reiterating the importance of host genetics in structuring components of its microbiome. Terrestrial fungal and prokaryotic taxa were detected at low abundance across coral microbiomes, indicating that allochthonous microbial inputs occur, but that coral microbiomes remain dominated by marine microbial taxa. Our study offers valuable insights into the microbiome assemblages associated with coral tolerance to extreme water temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid Longley
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824, MI, USA
| | | | - Xavier Pochon
- Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street East, Nelson 7010, New Zealand; Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824, MI, USA; Plant, Soil and Microbial Science Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824, MI, USA; Coral Coast Conservation Center, Votua Village, Fiji.
| | - Victor Bonito
- Coral Coast Conservation Center, Votua Village, Fiji; Reef Explorer Fiji, Votua Village, Fiji
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8
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Brown KT, Lenz EA, Glass BH, Kruse E, McClintock R, Drury C, Nelson CE, Putnam HM, Barott KL. Divergent bleaching and recovery trajectories in reef-building corals following a decade of successive marine heatwaves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2312104120. [PMID: 38113265 PMCID: PMC10756270 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312104120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasingly frequent marine heatwaves are devastating coral reefs. Corals that survive these extreme events must rapidly recover if they are to withstand subsequent events, and long-term survival in the face of rising ocean temperatures may hinge on recovery capacity and acclimatory gains in heat tolerance over an individual's lifespan. To better understand coral recovery trajectories in the face of successive marine heatwaves, we monitored the responses of bleaching-susceptible and bleaching-resistant individuals of two dominant coral species in Hawai'i, Montipora capitata and Porites compressa, over a decade that included three marine heatwaves. Bleaching-susceptible colonies of P. compressa exhibited beneficial acclimatization to heat stress (i.e., less bleaching) following repeat heatwaves, becoming indistinguishable from bleaching-resistant conspecifics during the third heatwave. In contrast, bleaching-susceptible M. capitata repeatedly bleached during all successive heatwaves and exhibited seasonal bleaching and substantial mortality for up to 3 y following the third heatwave. Encouragingly, bleaching-resistant individuals of both species remained pigmented across the entire time series; however, pigmentation did not necessarily indicate physiological resilience. Specifically, M. capitata displayed incremental yet only partial recovery of symbiont density and tissue biomass across both bleaching phenotypes up to 35 mo following the third heatwave as well as considerable partial mortality. Conversely, P. compressa appeared to recover across most physiological metrics within 2 y and experienced little to no mortality. Ultimately, these results indicate that even some visually robust, bleaching-resistant corals can carry the cost of recurring heatwaves over multiple years, leading to divergent recovery trajectories that may erode coral reef resilience in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen T. Brown
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Elizabeth A. Lenz
- University of Hawai’i Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI96822
| | - Benjamin H. Glass
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Elisa Kruse
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Rayna McClintock
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI96822
| | - Crawford Drury
- Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, HI96744
| | - Craig E. Nelson
- University of Hawai’i Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI96822
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI96822
| | - Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI02881
| | - Katie L. Barott
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
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9
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Lachs L, Humanes A, Pygas DR, Bythell JC, Mumby PJ, Ferrari R, Figueira WF, Beauchamp E, East HK, Edwards AJ, Golbuu Y, Martinez HM, Sommer B, van der Steeg E, Guest JR. No apparent trade-offs associated with heat tolerance in a reef-building coral. Commun Biol 2023; 6:400. [PMID: 37046074 PMCID: PMC10097654 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04758-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will likely be under strong selection. Yet trade-offs between heat tolerance and other life history traits could compromise natural adaptation or assisted evolution. This is particularly important for ecosystem engineers, such as reef-building corals, which support biodiversity yet are vulnerable to heatwave-induced mass bleaching and mortality. Here, we exposed 70 colonies of the reef-building coral Acropora digitifera to a long-term marine heatwave emulation experiment. We tested for trade-offs between heat tolerance and three traits measured from the colonies in situ - colony growth, fecundity, and symbiont community composition. Despite observing remarkable within-population variability in heat tolerance, all colonies were dominated by Cladocopium C40 symbionts. We found no evidence for trade-offs between heat tolerance and fecundity or growth. Contrary to expectations, positive associations emerged with growth, such that faster-growing colonies tended to bleach and die at higher levels of heat stress. Collectively, our results suggest that these corals exist on an energetic continuum where some high-performing individuals excel across multiple traits. Within populations, trade-offs between heat tolerance and growth or fecundity may not be major barriers to natural adaptation or the success of assisted evolution interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam Lachs
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
| | - Adriana Humanes
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Daniel R Pygas
- Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - John C Bythell
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Palau International Coral Reef Center, Koror, 96940, Palau
| | - Renata Ferrari
- Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Will F Figueira
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Beauchamp
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Holly K East
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Alasdair J Edwards
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Yimnang Golbuu
- Palau International Coral Reef Center, Koror, 96940, Palau
| | - Helios M Martinez
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Brigitte Sommer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Eveline van der Steeg
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - James R Guest
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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10
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Palumbi SR, Walker NS, Hanson E, Armstrong K, Lippert M, Cornwell B, Nestor V, Golbuu Y. Small-scale genetic structure of coral populations in Palau based on whole mitochondrial genomes: Implications for future coral resilience. Evol Appl 2023; 16:518-529. [PMID: 36793699 PMCID: PMC9923468 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of local populations to adapt to future climate conditions is facilitated by a balance between short range dispersal allowing local buildup of adaptively beneficial alleles, and longer dispersal moving these alleles throughout the species range. Reef building corals have relatively low dispersal larvae, but most population genetic studies show differentiation only over 100s of km. Here, we report full mitochondrial genome sequences from 284 tabletop corals (Acropora hyacinthus) from 39 patch reefs in Palau, and show two signals of genetic structure across reef scales from 1 to 55 km. First, divergent mitochondrial DNA haplotypes exist in different proportions from reef to reef, causing PhiST values of 0.02 (p = 0.02). Second, closely related sequences of mitochondrial Haplogroups are more likely to be co-located on the same reefs than expected by chance alone. We also compared these sequences to prior data on 155 colonies from American Samoa. In these comparisons, many Haplogroups in Palau were disproportionately represented or absent in American Samoa, and inter-regional PhiST = 0.259. However, we saw three instances of identical mitochondrial genomes between locations. Together, these data sets suggest two features of coral dispersal revealed by occurrence patterns in highly similar mitochondrial genomes. First, the Palau-American Samoa data suggest that long distance dispersal in corals is rare, as expected, but that it is common enough to deliver identical mitochondrial genomes across the Pacific. Second, higher than expected co-occurrence of Haplogroups on the same Palau reefs suggests greater retention of coral larvae on local reefs than predicted by many current oceanographic models of larval movement. Increased attention to local scales of coral genetic structure, dispersal, and selection may help increase the accuracy of models of future adaptation of corals and of assisted migration as a reef resilience intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Palumbi
- Department of Biology and Oceans Department Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA
| | - Nia S Walker
- Department of Biology and Oceans Department Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA.,Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii Honolulu Hawaii USA
| | - Erik Hanson
- Department of Biology and Oceans Department Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA
| | - Katrina Armstrong
- Department of Biology and Oceans Department Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA
| | - Marilla Lippert
- Department of Biology and Oceans Department Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA
| | - Brendan Cornwell
- Department of Biology and Oceans Department Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University Pacific Grove California USA
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11
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McLeod IM, Hein MY, Babcock R, Bay L, Bourne DG, Cook N, Doropoulos C, Gibbs M, Harrison P, Lockie S, van Oppen MJH, Mattocks N, Page CA, Randall CJ, Smith A, Smith HA, Suggett DJ, Taylor B, Vella KJ, Wachenfeld D, Boström-Einarsson L. Coral restoration and adaptation in Australia: The first five years. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273325. [PMID: 36449458 PMCID: PMC9710771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
While coral reefs in Australia have historically been a showcase of conventional management informed by research, recent declines in coral cover have triggered efforts to innovate and integrate intervention and restoration actions into management frameworks. Here we outline the multi-faceted intervention approaches that have developed in Australia since 2017, from newly implemented in-water programs, research to enhance coral resilience and investigations into socio-economic perspectives on restoration goals. We describe in-water projects using coral gardening, substrate stabilisation, coral repositioning, macro-algae removal, and larval-based restoration techniques. Three areas of research focus are also presented to illustrate the breadth of Australian research on coral restoration, (1) the transdisciplinary Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), one of the world's largest research and development programs focused on coral reefs, (2) interventions to enhance coral performance under climate change, and (3) research into socio-cultural perspectives. Together, these projects and the recent research focus reflect an increasing urgency for action to confront the coral reef crisis, develop new and additional tools to manage coral reefs, and the consequent increase in funding opportunities and management appetite for implementation. The rapid progress in trialling and deploying coral restoration in Australia builds on decades of overseas experience, and advances in research and development are showing positive signs that coral restoration can be a valuable tool to improve resilience at local scales (i.e., high early survival rates across a variety of methods and coral species, strong community engagement with local stakeholders). RRAP is focused on creating interventions to help coral reefs at multiple scales, from micro scales (i.e., interventions targeting small areas within a specific reef site) to large scales (i.e., interventions targeting core ecosystem function and social-economic values at multiple select sites across the Great Barrier Reef) to resist, adapt to and recover from the impacts of climate change. None of these interventions aim to single-handedly restore the entirety of the Great Barrier Reef, nor do they negate the importance of urgent climate change mitigation action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M. McLeod
- TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Margaux Y. Hein
- TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- MER Research and Consulting, The Office, Monaco, Monaco
- * E-mail:
| | - Russ Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Line Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David G. Bourne
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Nathan Cook
- TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Reef Ecologic, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Mark Gibbs
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter Harrison
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stewart Lockie
- The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Madeleine J. H. van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Neil Mattocks
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cathie A. Page
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Carly J. Randall
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Adam Smith
- TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Reef Ecologic, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hillary A. Smith
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David J. Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bruce Taylor
- Land & Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
| | - Karen J. Vella
- School of Architecture and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David Wachenfeld
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lisa Boström-Einarsson
- TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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12
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DeFilippo LB, McManus LC, Schindler DE, Pinsky ML, Colton MA, Fox HE, Tekwa EW, Palumbi SR, Essington TE, Webster MM. Assessing the potential for demographic restoration and assisted evolution to build climate resilience in coral reefs. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2650. [PMID: 35538738 PMCID: PMC9788104 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Interest is growing in developing conservation strategies to restore and maintain coral reef ecosystems in the face of mounting anthropogenic stressors, particularly climate warming and associated mass bleaching events. One such approach is to propagate coral colonies ex situ and transplant them to degraded reef areas to augment habitat for reef-dependent fauna, prevent colonization from spatial competitors, and enhance coral reproductive output. In addition to such "demographic restoration" efforts, manipulating the thermal tolerance of outplanted colonies through assisted relocation, selective breeding, or genetic engineering is being considered for enhancing rates of evolutionary adaptation to warming. Although research into such "assisted evolution" strategies has been growing, their expected performance remains unclear. We evaluated the potential outcomes of demographic restoration and assisted evolution in climate change scenarios using an eco-evolutionary simulation model. We found that supplementing reefs with pre-existing genotypes (demographic restoration) offers little climate resilience benefits unless input levels are large and maintained for centuries. Supplementation with thermally resistant colonies was successful at improving coral cover at lower input levels, but only if maintained for at least a century. Overall, we found that, although demographic restoration and assisted evolution have the potential to improve long-term coral cover, both approaches had a limited impact in preventing severe declines under climate change scenarios. Conversely, with sufficient natural genetic variance and time, corals could readily adapt to warming temperatures, suggesting that restoration approaches focused on building genetic variance may outperform those based solely on introducing heat-tolerant genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas B. DeFilippo
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
- Present address:
Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering DivisionNOAA Alaska Fisheries Science CenterSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Lisa C. McManus
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural ResourcesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
- Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawaiʻi at ManoaKaneʻoheHawaiiUSA
| | - Daniel E. Schindler
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Malin L. Pinsky
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural ResourcesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | | | | | - E. W. Tekwa
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural ResourcesRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Stephen R. Palumbi
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine StationStanford UniversityPacific GroveCaliforniaUSA
| | - Timothy E. Essington
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Michael M. Webster
- Department of Environmental StudiesNew York UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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13
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Humanes A, Lachs L, Beauchamp EA, Bythell JC, Edwards AJ, Golbuu Y, Martinez HM, Palmowski P, Treumann A, van der Steeg E, van Hooidonk R, Guest JR. Within-population variability in coral heat tolerance indicates climate adaptation potential. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220872. [PMID: 36043280 PMCID: PMC9428547 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are facing unprecedented mass bleaching and mortality events due to marine heatwaves and climate change. To avoid extirpation, corals must adapt. Individual variation in heat tolerance and its heritability underpin the potential for coral adaptation. However, the magnitude of heat tolerance variability within coral populations is largely unresolved. We address this knowledge gap by exposing corals from a single reef to an experimental marine heatwave. We found that double the heat stress dosage was required to induce bleaching in the most-tolerant 10%, compared to the least-tolerant 10% of the population. By the end of the heat stress exposure, all of the least-tolerant corals were dead, whereas the most-tolerant remained alive. To contextualize the scale of this result over the coming century, we show that under an ambitious future emissions scenario, such differences in coral heat tolerance thresholds equate to up to 17 years delay until the onset of annual bleaching and mortality conditions. However, this delay is limited to only 10 years under a high emissions scenario. Our results show substantial variability in coral heat tolerance which suggests scope for natural or assisted evolution to limit the impacts of climate change in the short-term. For coral reefs to persist through the coming century, coral adaptation must keep pace with ocean warming, and ambitious emissions reductions must be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Humanes
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Liam Lachs
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Beauchamp
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John C Bythell
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Alasdair J Edwards
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Helios M Martinez
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paweł Palmowski
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Achim Treumann
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Eveline van der Steeg
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ruben van Hooidonk
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA.,Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - James R Guest
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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14
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Quigley KM. A fast, precise, in‐vivo method for micron‐level
3D
models of corals using dental scanners. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kate M. Quigley
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville Qld Australia
- Minderoo Foundation Perth WA Australia
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15
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Shaver EC, McLeod E, Hein MY, Palumbi SR, Quigley K, Vardi T, Mumby PJ, Smith D, Montoya‐Maya P, Muller EM, Banaszak AT, McLeod IM, Wachenfeld D. A roadmap to integrating resilience into the practice of coral reef restoration. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:4751-4764. [PMID: 35451154 PMCID: PMC9545251 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Recent warm temperatures driven by climate change have caused mass coral bleaching and mortality across the world, prompting managers, policymakers, and conservation practitioners to embrace restoration as a strategy to sustain coral reefs. Despite a proliferation of new coral reef restoration efforts globally and increasing scientific recognition and research on interventions aimed at supporting reef resilience to climate impacts, few restoration programs are currently incorporating climate change and resilience in project design. As climate change will continue to degrade coral reefs for decades to come, guidance is needed to support managers and restoration practitioners to conduct restoration that promotes resilience through enhanced coral reef recovery, resistance, and adaptation. Here, we address this critical implementation gap by providing recommendations that integrate resilience principles into restoration design and practice, including for project planning and design, coral selection, site selection, and broader ecosystem context. We also discuss future opportunities to improve restoration methods to support enhanced outcomes for coral reefs in response to climate change. As coral reefs are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change, interventions that enhance reef resilience will help to ensure restoration efforts have a greater chance of success in a warming world. They are also more likely to provide essential contributions to global targets to protect natural biodiversity and the human communities that rely on reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Margaux Y. Hein
- Marine Ecosystem Restoration Research and ConsultingMonacoMonaco
| | | | - Kate Quigley
- Minderoo FoundationPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Tali Vardi
- ECS for NOAA Fisheries Office of Science & TechnologySilver SpringMarylandUSA
| | - Peter J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - David Smith
- Coral Reef Research UnitSchool of Life SciencesEssexUK
- Mars IncorporatedLondonUK
| | | | | | | | - Ian M. McLeod
- TropWATER, The Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - David Wachenfeld
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park AuthorityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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16
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Quigley KM, Hein M, Suggett DJ. Translating the 10 golden rules of reforestation for coral reef restoration. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13890. [PMID: 35075743 PMCID: PMC9543798 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Efforts are accelerating to protect and restore ecosystems globally. With trillions of dollars in ecosystem services at stake, no clear framework exists for developing or prioritizing approaches to restore coral reefs even as efforts and investment opportunities to do so grow worldwide. Restoration may buy time for climate change mitigation, but it lacks rigorous guidance to meet objectives of scalability and effectiveness. Lessons from restoration of terrestrial ecosystems can and should be rapidly adopted for coral reef restoration. We propose how the 10 golden rules of effective forest restoration can be translated to accelerate efforts to restore coral reefs based on established principles of resilience, management, and local stewardship. We summarize steps to undertake reef restoration as a management strategy in the context of the diverse ecosystem service values that coral reefs provide. Outlining a clear blueprint is timely as more stakeholders seek to undertake restoration as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration begins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M. Quigley
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Division of Research & InnovationJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Margaux Hein
- Division of Research & InnovationJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- MER Research and ConsultingMonaco
| | - David J. Suggett
- Faculty of Science, Climate Change ClusterUniversity of Technology SydneyUltimoNew South WalesAustralia
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17
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Howells EJ, Hagedorn M, Van Oppen MJ, Burt JA. Challenges of sperm cryopreservation in transferring heat adaptation of corals across ocean basins. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13395. [PMID: 35651741 PMCID: PMC9150692 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Reef-building corals live very close to their upper thermal limits and their persistence is imperiled by a rapidly warming climate. Human interventions may be used to increase the thermal limits of sensitive corals by cross-breeding with heat-adapted populations. However, the scope of breeding interventions is constrained by regional variation in the annual reproductive cycle of corals. Here we use cryopreservation technology to overcome this barrier and cross-breed conspecific coral populations across ocean basins for the first time. During regional spawning events, sperm samples were cryopreserved from populations of the widespread Indo-Pacific coral, Platygyra daedalea, from the southern Persian Gulf (maximum daily sea surface temperature of 36 °C), the Oman Sea (33 °C), and the central Great Barrier Reef (30 °C). These sperm samples were thawed during a later spawning event to test their ability to fertilize freshly spawned eggs of P. daedalea colonies from the central Great Barrier Reef. Average fertilization success for the Persian Gulf (9%) and Oman Sea (6%) sperm were 1.4-2.5 times lower than those for the native cryopreserved sperm from Great Barrier Reef (13-15%), potentially due to lower sperm quality of the Middle Eastern sperm and/or reproductive incompatibility between these distant populations. Overall, fertilization success with cryopreserved sperm was low compared with fresh sperm (>80%), likely due to the low motility of thawed sperm (≤5%, reduced from 50% to >90% in fresh sperm). To evaluate whether cross-bred offspring had enhanced thermal tolerance, the survival of larvae sired by Persian Gulf cryopreserved sperm, Great Barrier Reef cryopreserved sperm, and Great Barrier Reef fresh sperm was monitored for six days at ambient (27 °C) and elevated (33 °C) temperature. Against expectations of thermal tolerance enhancement, survival of larvae sired by Persian Gulf cryopreserved sperm was 2.6 times lower than larvae sired by Great Barrier Reef fresh sperm at 33 °C (27% versus 71%), but did not differ at 27 °C (77% versus 84%). This lack of enhanced thermal tolerance was unlikely due to outbreeding depression as survival was equally poor in larvae sired by Great Barrier Reef cryopreserved sperm. Rather, follow-up tests showed that cryoprotectant exposure during fertilization (0.1% DMSO) has a negative effect on the survival of P. daedalea larvae which is exacerbated at elevated temperature. Collectively, our findings highlight challenges of breeding corals for enhanced thermal tolerance using cryopreserved sperm, which may be overcome by methodological advances in the collection and preservation of high-quality motile sperm and minimizing the exposure time of eggs to cryoprotectants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Howells
- Water Research Center and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,National Marine Science Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mary Hagedorn
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Free Royal, Virginia, United States of America,Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Madeleine J.H. Van Oppen
- School of Biocsiences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queenslabd, Australia
| | - John A. Burt
- Water Research Center and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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18
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Thomas L, Underwood JN, Rose NH, Fuller ZL, Richards ZT, Dugal L, Grimaldi CM, Cooke IR, Palumbi SR, Gilmour JP. Spatially varying selection between habitats drives physiological shifts and local adaptation in a broadcast spawning coral on a remote atoll in Western Australia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl9185. [PMID: 35476443 PMCID: PMC9045720 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl9185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
At the Rowley Shoals in Western Australia, the prominent reef flat becomes exposed on low tide and the stagnant water in the shallow atoll lagoons heats up, creating a natural laboratory for characterizing the mechanisms of coral resilience to climate change. To explore these mechanisms in the reef coral Acropora tenuis, we collected samples from lagoon and reef slope habitats and combined whole-genome sequencing, ITS2 metabarcoding, experimental heat stress, and transcriptomics. Despite high gene flow across the atoll, we identified clear shifts in allele frequencies between habitats at relatively small linked genomic islands. Common garden heat stress assays showed corals from the lagoon to be more resistant to bleaching, and RNA sequencing revealed marked differences in baseline levels of gene expression between habitats. Our results provide new insight into the complex mechanisms of coral resilience to climate change and highlight the potential for spatially varying selection across complex coral reef seascapes to drive pronounced ecological divergence in climate-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Thomas
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute, Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- Corresponding author.
| | - Jim N. Underwood
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
| | - Noah H. Rose
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zachary L. Fuller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zoe T. Richards
- Coral Conservation and Research Group, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Australia
| | - Laurence Dugal
- UWA Oceans Institute, Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Camille M. Grimaldi
- UWA Oceans Institute, Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Ira R. Cooke
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen R. Palumbi
- Hopkins Marine Station, Biology Department, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
| | - James P. Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, Australia
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19
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Gilmour JP, Cook KL, Ryan NM, Puotinen ML, Green RH, Heyward AJ. A tale of two reef systems: Local conditions, disturbances, coral life histories, and the climate catastrophe. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2509. [PMID: 34870357 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs have evolved over millennia to survive disturbances. Yet, in just a few decades chronic local pressures and the climate catastrophe have accelerated so quickly that most coral reefs are now threatened. Rising ocean temperatures and recurrent bleaching pose the biggest threat, affecting even remote and well-managed reefs on global scales. We illustrate how coral bleaching is altering reefs by contrasting the dynamics of adjacent reef systems over more than two decades. Both reef systems sit near the edge of northwest Australia's continental shelf, have escaped chronic local pressures and are regularly affected by tropical storms and cyclones. The Scott reef system has experienced multiple bleaching events, including mass bleaching in 1998 and 2016, from which it is unlikely to fully recover. The Rowley Shoals has maintained a high cover and diversity of corals and has not yet been impacted by mass bleaching. We show how the dynamics of both reef systems were driven by a combination of local environment, exposure to disturbances and coral life history traits, and consider future shifts in community structure with ongoing climate change. We then demonstrate how applying knowledge of community dynamics at local scales can aid management strategies to slow the degradation of coral reefs until carbon emissions and other human impacts are properly managed.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Gilmour
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kylie L Cook
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nicole M Ryan
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Marjetta L Puotinen
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rebecca H Green
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew J Heyward
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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20
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Quigley KM, van Oppen MJH. Predictive models for the selection of thermally tolerant corals based on offspring survival. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1543. [PMID: 35351901 PMCID: PMC8964693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28956-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Finding coral reefs resilient to climate warming is challenging given the large spatial scale of reef ecosystems. Methods are needed to predict the location of corals with heritable tolerance to high temperatures. Here, we combine Great Barrier Reef-scale remote sensing with breeding experiments that estimate larval and juvenile coral survival under exposure to high temperatures. Using reproductive corals collected from the northern and central Great Barrier Reef, we develop forecasting models to locate reefs harbouring corals capable of producing offspring with increased heat tolerance of an additional 3.4° heating weeks (~3 °C). Our findings predict hundreds of reefs (~7.5%) may be home to corals that have high and heritable heat-tolerance in habitats with high daily and annual temperature ranges and historically variable heat stress. The locations identified represent targets for protection and consideration as a source of corals for use in restoration of degraded reefs given their potential to resist climate change impacts and repopulate reefs with tolerant offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Quigley
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
| | - M J H van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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21
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Weeriyanun P, Collins RB, Macadam A, Kiff H, Randle JL, Quigley KM. Predicting selection-response gradients of heat tolerance in a widespread reef-building coral. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274382. [PMID: 35258617 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Ocean temperatures continue to rise owing to climate change, but it is unclear whether heat tolerance of marine organisms will keep pace with warming. Understanding how tolerance scales from individuals to species and quantifying adaptive potentials is essential to forecasting responses to warming. We reproductively crossed corals from a globally distributed species (Acropora tenuis) on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) from three thermally distinct reefs to create 85 offspring lineages. Individuals were experimentally exposed to temperatures (27.5, 31 and 35.5°C) in adult and two critical early life stages (larval and settlement) to assess acquired heat tolerance via outcrossing of offspring phenotypes by comparing five physiological responses (photosynthetic yields, bleaching, necrosis, settlement and survival). Adaptive potentials and physiological reaction norms were calculated across three stages to integrate heat tolerance at different biological scales. Selective breeding improved larval survival to heat by 1.5-2.5× but did not result in substantial enhancement of settlement, although population crosses were significantly different. Under heat stress, adults were less variable compared with larval responses in warmer reefs than in the cooler reef. Adults and offspring also differed in their mean population responses, likely underpinned by heat stress imposing strong divergent selection on adults. These results have implications for downstream selection during reproduction, evidenced by variability in a conserved heat tolerance response across offspring lineages. These results inform our ability to forecast the impacts of climate change on wild populations of corals and will aid in developing novel conservation tools such as the assisted evolution of at-risk species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ponchanok Weeriyanun
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia.,Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 33, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Rachael B Collins
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia.,University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Alex Macadam
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
| | - Hugo Kiff
- Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Janna L Randle
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
| | - Kate M Quigley
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
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22
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Contingency planning for coral reefs in the Anthropocene; The potential of reef safe havens. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:107-124. [PMID: 35225326 DOI: 10.1042/etls20210232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Reducing the global reliance on fossil fuels is essential to ensure the long-term survival of coral reefs, but until this happens, alternative tools are required to safeguard their future. One emerging tool is to locate areas where corals are surviving well despite the changing climate. Such locations include refuges, refugia, hotspots of resilience, bright spots, contemporary near-pristine reefs, and hope spots that are collectively named reef 'safe havens' in this mini-review. Safe havens have intrinsic value for reefs through services such as environmental buffering, maintaining near-pristine reef conditions, or housing corals naturally adapted to future environmental conditions. Spatial and temporal variance in physicochemical conditions and exposure to stress however preclude certainty over the ubiquitous long-term capacity of reef safe havens to maintain protective service provision. To effectively integrate reef safe havens into proactive reef management and contingency planning for climate change scenarios, thus requires an understanding of their differences, potential values, and predispositions to stress. To this purpose, I provide a high-level review on the defining characteristics of different coral reef safe havens, how they are being utilised in proactive reef management and what risk and susceptibilities they inherently have. The mini-review concludes with an outline of the potential for reef safe haven habitats to support contingency planning of coral reefs under an uncertain future from intensifying climate change.
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23
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Coral holobionts and biotechnology: from Blue Economy to coral reef conservation. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 74:110-121. [PMID: 34861476 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Corals are of ecological and economic importance, providing habitat for species and contributing to coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism. Their biotechnological potential is also increasingly recognized. Particularly, the production of pharmaceutically interesting compounds by corals and their microbial associates stimulated natural product-based drug discovery. The efficient light distribution by coral skeletons for optimal photosynthesis by algal symbionts has led to 3D-printed bionic corals that may be used to upscale micro-algal cultivation for bioenergy generation. However, corals are under threat from climate change and pollution, and biotechnological approaches to increase their resilience, like 'probiotics' and 'assisted evolution', are being evaluated. In this review, we summarize the recent biotechnological developments related to corals with an emphasis on coral conservation, drug discovery and bioenergy.
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24
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Maire J, van Oppen MJH. A role for bacterial experimental evolution in coral bleaching mitigation? Trends Microbiol 2021; 30:217-228. [PMID: 34429226 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Coral reefs are rapidly declining because of widespread mass coral bleaching causing extensive coral mortality. Elevated seawater temperatures are the main drivers of coral bleaching, and climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of destructive marine heatwaves. Efforts to enhance coral thermal bleaching tolerance can be targeted at the coral host or at coral-associated microorganisms (e.g., dinoflagellate endosymbionts and bacteria). The literature on experimental evolution of bacteria suggests that it has value as a tool to increase coral climate resilience. We provide a workflow on how to experimentally evolve coral-associated bacteria to confer thermal tolerance to coral hosts and emphasize the value of implementing this approach in coral reef conservation and restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Maire
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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25
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Howells EJ, Abrego D, Liew YJ, Burt JA, Meyer E, Aranda M. Enhancing the heat tolerance of reef-building corals to future warming. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/34/eabg6070. [PMID: 34417178 PMCID: PMC8378819 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building corals thriving in extreme thermal environments may provide genetic variation that can assist the evolution of populations to rapid climate warming. However, the feasibility and scale of genetic improvements remain untested despite ongoing population declines from recurrent thermal stress events. Here, we show that corals from the hottest reefs in the world transfer sufficient heat tolerance to a naïve population sufficient to withstand end-of-century warming projections. Heat survival increased up to 84% when naïve mothers were selectively bred with fathers from the hottest reefs because of strong heritable genetic effects. We identified genomic loci associated with tolerance variation that were enriched for heat shock proteins, oxidative stress, and immune functions. Unexpectedly, several coral families exhibited survival rates and genomic associations deviating from origin predictions, including a few naïve purebreds with exceptionally high heat tolerance. Our findings highlight previously uncharacterized enhanced and intrinsic potential of coral populations to adapt to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Howells
- Water Research Center and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Abrego
- Department of Natural Science and Public Health, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- National Marine Science Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yi Jin Liew
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John A Burt
- Water Research Center and Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Eli Meyer
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Manuel Aranda
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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26
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Genomic Approaches for Conservation Management in Australia under Climate Change. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11070653. [PMID: 34357024 PMCID: PMC8304512 DOI: 10.3390/life11070653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation genetics has informed threatened species management for several decades. With the advent of advanced DNA sequencing technologies in recent years, it is now possible to monitor and manage threatened populations with even greater precision. Climate change presents a number of threats and challenges, but new genomics data and analytical approaches provide opportunities to identify critical evolutionary processes of relevance to genetic management under climate change. Here, we discuss the applications of such approaches for threatened species management in Australia in the context of climate change, identifying methods of facilitating viability and resilience in the face of extreme environmental stress. Using genomic approaches, conservation management practices such as translocation, targeted gene flow, and gene-editing can now be performed with the express intention of facilitating adaptation to current and projected climate change scenarios in vulnerable species, thus reducing extinction risk and ensuring the protection of our unique biodiversity for future generations. We discuss the current barriers to implementing conservation genomic projects and the efforts being made to overcome them, including communication between researchers and managers to improve the relevance and applicability of genomic studies. We present novel approaches for facilitating adaptive capacity and accelerating natural selection in species to encourage resilience in the face of climate change.
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27
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Rippe JP, Dixon G, Fuller ZL, Liao Y, Matz M. Environmental specialization and cryptic genetic divergence in two massive coral species from the Florida Keys Reef Tract. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3468-3484. [PMID: 33894013 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Broadcast-spawning coral species have wide geographical ranges spanning strong environmental gradients, but it is unclear how much spatially varying selection these gradients actually impose. Strong divergent selection might present a considerable barrier for demographic exchange between disparate reef habitats. We investigated whether the cross-shelf gradient is associated with spatially varying selection in two common coral species, Montastraea cavernosa and Siderastrea siderea, in the Florida Keys. To this end, we generated a de novo genome assembly for M. cavernosa and used 2bRAD to genotype 20 juveniles and 20 adults of both species from each of the three reef zones to identify signatures of selection occurring within a single generation. Unexpectedly, each species was found to be composed of four genetically distinct lineages, with gene flow between them still ongoing but highly reduced in 13.0%-54.7% of the genome. Each species includes two sympatric lineages that are only found in the deep (20 m) habitat, while the other lineages are found almost exclusively on the shallower reefs (3-10 m). The two "shallow" lineages of M. cavernosa are also specialized for either nearshore or offshore: comparison between adult and juvenile cohorts indicates that cross-shelf migrants are more than twice as likely to die before reaching adulthood than local recruits. S. siderea and M. cavernosa are among the most ecologically successful species on the Florida Keys Reef Tract, and this work offers important insight into the genomic background of divergent selection and environmental specialization that may in part explain their resilience and broad environmental range.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Rippe
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Groves Dixon
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Zachary L Fuller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi Liao
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Mikhail Matz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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28
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Coral bleaching response is unaltered following acclimatization to reefs with distinct environmental conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025435118. [PMID: 34050025 PMCID: PMC8179235 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025435118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean warming has caused catastrophic losses of corals on reefs worldwide and is intensifying faster than the adaptive rate of most coral populations that remain. Human interventions, such as propagation of heat-resistant corals, may help maintain reef function and delay further devastation of these valuable ecosystems as society confronts the climate crisis. However, exposing adult corals to a complex suite of new environmental conditions could lead to tradeoffs that alter their heat stress responses, and empirical data are needed to test the utility of this approach. Here, we show that corals transplanted to novel reef conditions did not exhibit changes in their heat stress response or negative fitness tradeoffs, supporting the inclusion of this approach in our management arsenal. Urgent action is needed to prevent the demise of coral reefs as the climate crisis leads to an increasingly warmer and more acidic ocean. Propagating climate change–resistant corals to restore degraded reefs is one promising strategy; however, empirical evidence is needed to determine whether stress resistance is affected by transplantation beyond a coral’s native reef. Here, we assessed the performance of bleaching-resistant individuals of two coral species following reciprocal transplantation between reefs with distinct pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, sedimentation, and flow dynamics to determine whether heat stress response is altered following coral exposure to novel physicochemical conditions in situ. Critically, transplantation had no influence on coral heat stress responses, indicating that this trait was relatively fixed. In contrast, growth was highly plastic, and native performance was not predictive of performance in the novel environment. Coral metabolic rates and overall fitness were higher at the reef with higher flow, salinity, sedimentation, and diel fluctuations of pH and dissolved oxygen, and did not differ between native and cross-transplanted corals, indicating acclimatization via plasticity within just 3 mo. Conversely, cross-transplants at the second reef had higher fitness than native corals, thus increasing the fitness potential of the recipient population. This experiment was conducted during a nonbleaching year, so the potential benefits to recipient population fitness are likely enhanced during bleaching years. In summary, this study demonstrates that outplanting bleaching-resistant corals is a promising tool for elevating the resistance of coral populations to ocean warming.
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29
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Seaborn T, Andrews KR, Applestein CV, Breech TM, Garrett MJ, Zaiats A, Caughlin TT. Integrating genomics in population models to forecast translocation success. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Travis Seaborn
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID U.S.A
| | - Kimberly R. Andrews
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies (IBEST) University of Idaho Moscow ID U.S.A
| | | | - Tyler M. Breech
- Department of Biological Sciences Idaho State University Pocatello ID U.S.A
| | - Molly J. Garrett
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID U.S.A
| | - Andrii Zaiats
- Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise ID U.S.A
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30
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Wood G, Marzinelli EM, Campbell AH, Steinberg PD, Vergés A, Coleman MA. Genomic vulnerability of a dominant seaweed points to future-proofing pathways for Australia's underwater forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2200-2212. [PMID: 33511779 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Globally, critical habitats are in decline, threatening ecological, economic and social values and prompting calls for 'future proofing' efforts that enhance resilience to climate change. Such efforts rely on predicting how neutral and adaptive genomic patterns across a species' distribution will change under future climate scenarios, but data is scant for most species of conservation concern. Here, we use seascape genomics to characterise genetic diversity, structure and gene-environmental associations in a dominant forest-forming seaweed, Phyllospora comosa, along its entire latitudinal (12° latitude), and thermal (~14°C) range. Phyllospora showed high connectivity throughout its central range, with evidence of genetic structure and potential selection associated with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) at its rear and leading edges. Rear and leading-edge populations harboured only half the genetic diversity of central populations. By modelling genetic turnover as a function of SST, we assessed the genomic vulnerability across Phyllospora's distributional range under climate change scenarios. Despite low diversity, range-edge populations were predicted to harbour beneficial adaptations to marginal conditions and overall adaptability of the species may be compromised by their loss. Assisted gene flow from range edge populations may be required to enhance adaptation and increase resilience of central and leading-edge populations under warming oceans. Understanding genomic vulnerability can inform proactive restoration and future-proofing strategies for underwater forests and ensure their persistence in changing oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Wood
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ezequiel M Marzinelli
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexandra H Campbell
- USC Seaweed Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia
| | - Peter D Steinberg
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Adriana Vergés
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Melinda A Coleman
- Department of Primary Industries, National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
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31
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Cooke I, Ying H, Forêt S, Bongaerts P, Strugnell JM, Simakov O, Zhang J, Field MA, Rodriguez-Lanetty M, Bell SC, Bourne DG, van Oppen MJ, Ragan MA, Miller DJ. Genomic signatures in the coral holobiont reveal host adaptations driven by Holocene climate change and reef specific symbionts. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/48/eabc6318. [PMID: 33246955 PMCID: PMC7695477 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc6318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Genetic signatures caused by demographic and adaptive processes during past climatic shifts can inform predictions of species' responses to anthropogenic climate change. To identify these signatures in Acropora tenuis, a reef-building coral threatened by global warming, we first assembled the genome from long reads and then used shallow whole-genome resequencing of 150 colonies from the central inshore Great Barrier Reef to inform population genomic analyses. We identify population structure in the host that reflects a Pleistocene split, whereas photosymbiont differences between reefs most likely reflect contemporary (Holocene) conditions. Signatures of selection in the host were associated with genes linked to diverse processes including osmotic regulation, skeletal development, and the establishment and maintenance of symbiosis. Our results suggest that adaptation to post-glacial climate change in A. tenuis has involved selection on many genes, while differences in symbiont specificity between reefs appear to be unrelated to host population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ira Cooke
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hua Ying
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Sylvain Forêt
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Pim Bongaerts
- California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jan M Strugnell
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Oleg Simakov
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Development, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Jia Zhang
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matt A Field
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Fl 33199, USA
| | - Sara C Bell
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Madeleine Jh van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mark A Ragan
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David J Miller
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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32
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Vaughan IP, Gotelli NJ. Using Climatic Credits to Pay the Climatic Debt. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 36:104-112. [PMID: 33129587 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Many organisms are accumulating climatic debt as they respond more slowly than expected to rising global temperatures, leading to disequilibrium of species diversity with contemporary climate. The resulting transient dynamics are complex and may cause overoptimistic biodiversity assessments. We propose a simple budget framework to integrate climatic debt with two classes of intervention: (i) climatic credits that pay some of the debt, reducing the overall biological change required to reach a new equilibrium; and (ii) options to adjust the debt repayment rate, either making a system more responsive by increasing the rate or temporarily reducing the rate to buy more time for local adaptation and credit implementation. We illustrate how this budget can be created and highlight limitations and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian P Vaughan
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
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33
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Tamir R, Ben-Zvi O, Eyal G, Kramer N, Loya Y. Reciprocal-transplantation between shallow and mesophotic stony corals. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 161:105035. [PMID: 32771807 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Most studies to date on the various life-history aspects of scleractinian corals (e.g. reproduction, connectivity, and physiology) have focused on their innate habitats. However, comprehensive data on the ability of both shallow and mesophotic corals to contend in the coming decades with the different environmental conditions they may encounter due to new habitats or environmental changes (e.g. eutrophication), are scarce. Long-term cross-transplantation experiments assessing the potential responses and acclimatization ability of corals are thus needed in order to expand our knowledge. Here we examined the survivorship and changes in the photobiological acclimatization of corals following their cross-transplantation between two different depths (5-10 m and 45 m) and two sites characterized by different abiotic conditions (i.e. light, nutrient, and sedimentation regime). This year-long in-situ experiment was performed on five depth-generalist coral species. Depth of origin and the species' particular morphology were found to be the strongest predictors of survivorship. Physiological responses occurred mainly among those corals that had been translocated from deep-to-shallow water, and were expressed in a significant reduction in chlorophyll-a concentration and algal density, as well as changes in photosynthetic parameters (e.g. minimal/maximal saturating points, Ek and Em, and rETRmax). Our study contributes to a better assessment of the physiological and ecological consequences of corals under acute and long-term environmental perturbations and their endurance abilities. Furthermore, it contributes to the information necessary for effective management intervention aimed at supporting the possible acclimation or rehabilitation of coral species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raz Tamir
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel; The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Israel.
| | - Or Ben-Zvi
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel; The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Israel.
| | - Gal Eyal
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel; The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Israel; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Science, The University of Queensland, Australia; The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Israel.
| | - Netanel Kramer
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
| | - Yossi Loya
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
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34
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Underwood JN, Richards Z, Berry O, Oades D, Howard A, Gilmour JP. Extreme seascape drives local recruitment and genetic divergence in brooding and spawning corals in remote north-west Australia. Evol Appl 2020; 13:2404-2421. [PMID: 33005230 PMCID: PMC7513722 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Management strategies designed to conserve coral reefs threatened by climate change need to incorporate knowledge of the spatial distribution of inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity. We characterized patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two reef-building corals to explore the eco-evolutionary processes that sustain populations in north-west Australia. Our sampling focused on the unique reefs of the Kimberley; we collected the broadcast spawning coral Acropora aspera (n = 534) and the brooding coral Isopora brueggemanni (n = 612) across inter-archipelago (tens to hundreds of kilometres), inter-reef (kilometres to tens of kilometres) and within-reef (tens of metres to a few kilometres) scales. Initial analysis of A. aspera identified four highly divergent lineages that were co-occurring but morphologically similar. Subsequent population analyses focused on the most abundant and widespread lineage, Acropora asp-c. Although the overall level of geographic subdivision was greater in the brooder than in the spawner, fundamental similarities in patterns of genetic structure were evident. Most notably, limits to gene flow were observed at scales <35 kilometres. Further, we observed four discrete clusters and a semi-permeable barrier to dispersal that were geographically consistent between species. Finally, sites experiencing bigger tides were more connected to the metapopulation and had greater gene diversity than those experiencing smaller tides. Our data indicate that the inshore reefs of the Kimberley are genetically isolated from neighbouring oceanic bioregions, but occasional dispersal between inshore archipelagos is important for the redistribution of evolutionarily important genetic diversity. Additionally, these results suggest that networks of marine reserves that effectively protect reefs from local pressures should be spaced within a few tens of kilometres to conserve the existing patterns of demographic and genetic connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim N Underwood
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley Perth WA Australia
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
| | - Zoe Richards
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley WA Australia
- Department of Aquatic Zoology Western Australian Museum Welshpool WA Australia
| | - Oliver Berry
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley Perth WA Australia
| | - Daniel Oades
- Bardi Jawi Rangers Kimberley Land Council Broome WA Australia
| | - Azton Howard
- Bardi Jawi Rangers Kimberley Land Council Broome WA Australia
| | - James P Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Crawley Perth WA Australia
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre Crawley WA Australia
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35
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Yu X, Yu K, Huang W, Liang J, Qin Z, Chen B, Yao Q, Liao Z. Thermal acclimation increases heat tolerance of the scleractinian coral Acropora pruinosa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 733:139319. [PMID: 32446076 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Field ecological observations indicate that scleractinian coral exposed to early thermal stress are likely to develop higher tolerance to subsequent heat stress. The causes of this phenomenon, however, remain enigmatic. To unravel the mechanisms underlying the increased heat tolerance, we applied different thermal treatments to the scleractinian coral Acropora pruinosa and studied the resulting differences in appearance, physiological index, Symbiodiniaceae and bacterial communities, and transcriptome response. We found that early heat stress improved the thermal tolerance of the coral holobiont. After thermal acclimation, the community structure and symbiotic bacterial diversity in the microbiota were reorganized, whereas those of Symbiodiniaceae remained stable. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the downregulated coral host genes were mainly involved in pathways relating to metabolism, particularly the nitrogen metabolism pathway. This indicates that thermal acclimation led to decrease in the metabolism level in the coral host, which might be a self-protection mechanism. We suggest that thermal acclimation may increase scleractinian coral thermal tolerance by slowing host metabolism, altering the dominant bacterial population, and increasing bacterial diversity. This study offers new insights into the adaptive potential of scleractinian coral to heat stress from global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory(Zhuhai), China.
| | - Wen Huang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Jiayuan Liang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhenjun Qin
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Biao Chen
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Qiucui Yao
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Zhiheng Liao
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
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Anthony KRN, Helmstedt KJ, Bay LK, Fidelman P, Hussey KE, Lundgren P, Mead D, McLeod IM, Mumby PJ, Newlands M, Schaffelke B, Wilson KA, Hardisty PE. Interventions to help coral reefs under global change-A complex decision challenge. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236399. [PMID: 32845878 PMCID: PMC7449401 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is impacting coral reefs now. Recent pan-tropical bleaching events driven by unprecedented global heat waves have shifted the playing field for coral reef management and policy. While best-practice conventional management remains essential, it may no longer be enough to sustain coral reefs under continued climate change. Nor will climate change mitigation be sufficient on its own. Committed warming and projected reef decline means solutions must involve a portfolio of mitigation, best-practice conventional management and coordinated restoration and adaptation measures involving new and perhaps radical interventions, including local and regional cooling and shading, assisted coral evolution, assisted gene flow, and measures to support and enhance coral recruitment. We propose that proactive research and development to expand the reef management toolbox fast but safely, combined with expedient trialling of promising interventions is now urgently needed, whatever emissions trajectory the world follows. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of embracing new interventions in a race against time, including their risks and uncertainties. Ultimately, solutions to the climate challenge for coral reefs will require consideration of what society wants, what can be achieved technically and economically, and what opportunities we have for action in a rapidly closing window. Finding solutions that work for coral reefs and people will require exceptional levels of coordination of science, management and policy, and open engagement with society. It will also require compromise, because reefs will change under climate change despite our best interventions. We argue that being clear about society's priorities, and understanding both the opportunities and risks that come with an expanded toolset, can help us make the most of a challenging situation. We offer a conceptual model to help reef managers frame decision problems and objectives, and to guide effective strategy choices in the face of complexity and uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth R. N. Anthony
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, QLD, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Kate J. Helmstedt
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, QLD, Australia
| | - Line K. Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, QLD, Australia
| | - Pedro Fidelman
- Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
| | - Karen E. Hussey
- Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
| | | | - David Mead
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Peter J. Mumby
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Kerrie A. Wilson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Queensland, QLD, Australia
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Quigley KM, Bay LK, van Oppen MJH. Genome-wide SNP analysis reveals an increase in adaptive genetic variation through selective breeding of coral. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2176-2188. [PMID: 32453867 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Marine heat waves are increasing in magnitude, duration, and frequency as a result of climate change and are the principal global driver of mortality in reef-building corals. Resilience-based genetic management may increase coral heat tolerance, but it is unclear how temperature responses are regulated at the genome level and thus how corals may adapt to warming naturally or through selective breeding. Here we combine phenotypic, pedigree, and genomic marker data from colonies sourced from a warm reef on the Great Barrier Reef reproductively crossed with conspecific colonies from a cooler reef to produce combinations of warm purebreds and warm-cool hybrid larvae and juveniles. Interpopulation breeding created significantly greater genetic diversity across the coral genome compared to breeding between populations and maintained diversity in key regions associated with heat tolerance and fitness. High-density genome-wide scans of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified alleles significantly associated with larval families reared at 27.5°C (87-2,224 loci), including loci putatively associated with proteins involved in responses to heat stress (cell membrane formation, metabolism, and immune responses). Underlying genetics of these families explained 43% of PCoA multilocus variation in survival, growth, and bleaching responses at 27.5°C and 31°C at the juvenile stage. Genetic marker contribution to total variation in fitness traits (narrow-sense heritability) was high for survival but not for growth and bleaching in juveniles, with heritability of these traits being higher at 31°C relative to 27.5°C. While based on only a limited number of crosses, the mechanistic understanding presented here demonstrates that allele frequencies are affected by one generation of selective breeding, key information for the assessments of genetic intervention feasibility and modelling of reef futures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Quigley
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Line K Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Qld, Australia.,School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
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Quigley KM, Randall CJ, van Oppen MJH, Bay LK. Assessing the role of historical temperature regime and algal symbionts on the heat tolerance of coral juveniles. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio047316. [PMID: 31915210 PMCID: PMC6994947 DOI: 10.1242/bio.047316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The rate of coral reef degradation from climate change is accelerating and, as a consequence, a number of interventions to increase coral resilience and accelerate recovery are under consideration. Acropora spathulata coral colonies that survived mass bleaching in 2016 and 2017 were sourced from a bleaching-impacted and warmer northern reef on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These individuals were reproductively crossed with colonies collected from a recently bleached but historically cooler central GBR reef to produce pure and crossbred offspring groups (warm-warm, warm-cool and cool-warm). We tested whether corals from the warmer reef produced more thermally tolerant hybrid and purebred offspring compared with crosses produced with colonies sourced from the cooler reef and whether different symbiont taxa affect heat tolerance. Juveniles were infected with Symbiodinium tridacnidorum, Cladocopium goreaui and Durusdinium trenchii and survival, bleaching and growth were assessed at 27.5°C and 31°C. The contribution of host genetic background and symbiont identity varied across fitness traits. Offspring with either both or one parent from the northern population exhibited a 13- to 26-fold increase in survival odds relative to all other treatments where survival probability was significantly influenced by familial cross identity at 31°C but not 27.5°C (Kaplan-Meier P=0.001 versus 0.2). If in symbiosis with D. trenchii, a warm sire and cool dam provided the best odds of juvenile survival. Bleaching was predominantly driven by Symbiodiniaceae treatment, where juveniles hosting D. trenchii bleached significantly less than the other treatments at 31°C. The greatest overall fold-benefits in growth and survival at 31°C occurred in having at least one warm dam and in symbiosis with D. trenchii Juveniles associated with D. trenchii grew the most at 31°C, but at 27.5°C, growth was fastest in juveniles associated with C. goreaui In conclusion, selective breeding with warmer GBR corals in combination with algal symbiont manipulation can assist in increasing thermal tolerance on cooler but warming reefs. Such interventions have the potential to improve coral fitness in warming oceans.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Quigley
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
| | - C J Randall
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
| | - M J H van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
- Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - L K Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville 4810, Australia
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