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Denis H, Bay LK, Mocellin VJL, Naugle MS, Lecellier G, Purcell SW, Berteaux-Lecellier V, Howells EJ. Thermal tolerance traits of individual corals are widely distributed across the Great Barrier Reef. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240587. [PMID: 39257340 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0587] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Adaptation of reef-building corals to global warming depends upon standing heritable variation in tolerance traits upon which selection can act. Yet limited knowledge exists on heat-tolerance variation among conspecific individuals separated by metres to hundreds of kilometres. Here, we performed standardized acute heat-stress assays to quantify the thermal tolerance traits of 709 colonies of Acropora spathulata from 13 reefs spanning 1060 km (9.5° latitude) of the Great Barrier Reef. Thermal thresholds for photochemical efficiency and chlorophyll retention varied considerably among individual colonies both among reefs (approximately 6°C) and within reefs (approximately 3°C). Although tolerance rankings of colonies varied between traits, the most heat-tolerant corals (i.e. top 25% of each trait) were found at virtually all reefs, indicating widespread phenotypic variation. Reef-scale environmental predictors explained 12-62% of trait variation. Corals exposed to high thermal averages and recent thermal stress exhibited the greatest photochemical performance, probably reflecting local adaptation and stress pre-acclimatization, and the lowest chlorophyll retention suggesting stress pre-sensitization. Importantly, heat tolerance relative to local summer temperatures was the greatest on higher latitude reefs suggestive of higher adaptive potential. These results can be used to identify naturally tolerant coral populations and individuals for conservation and restoration applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Denis
- UMR250/9220 ENTROPIE (IRD-CNRS-UR-IFREMER-UNC), Promenade Roger-Laroque , Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia, France
- ED 129, Sorbonne Université, 4, Place Jussieu , Paris 75252, France
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University , Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Line K Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science , Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Melissa S Naugle
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University , Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gaël Lecellier
- UMR250/9220 ENTROPIE (IRD-CNRS-UR-IFREMER-UNC), Promenade Roger-Laroque , Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia, France
- Institut de Sciences Exactes et Appliquées (ISEA) EA7484, 145, Avenue James Cook , Nouméa BP R4 98 851, New Caledonia
| | - Steven W Purcell
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University , Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Emily J Howells
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University , Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
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Page CA, Giuliano C, Bay LK, Randall CJ. High survival following bleaching underscores the resilience of a frequently disturbed region of the Great Barrier Reef. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cathie A. Page
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville Queensland Australia
| | | | - Line K. Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Carly J. Randall
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville Queensland Australia
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Xiao J, Wang W, Wang X, Tian P, Niu W. Recent deterioration of coral reefs in the South China Sea due to multiple disturbances. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13634. [PMID: 35910778 PMCID: PMC9332401 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
More frequent global warming events, biological disasters, and anthropogenic activities have caused extensive damage to coral reefs around the world. Coral reefs in the Xisha Islands (also known as the Paracel Islands) have been damaged following rounds of heatwaves and crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) outbreaks over recent decades. Based on a comprehensive community survey in 2020, we determined a diagnosis for the present state of six coral regions in the Xisha Islands. The findings suggested that these regions had a total of 213 species of scleractinian corals belonging to 43 genera and 16 families. Living coral coverage across sites was widely divergent and ranged from 0.40% (IQR: 7.74-0.27%) in Panshi Yu to 38.20% (IQR: 43.00-35.90%) in Bei Jiao. Coral bleaching prevalence was 23.90% (IQR: 41.60-13.30%) overall and topped out at 49.30% (IQR: 50.60-48.10%) in Bei Jiao. Five of the coral regions (all but Yongxing Dao) were under threat of CoTS outbreaks. High mortality combined with excellent recruitment rates suggested potential rehabilitation after recent deterioration. We employed a quantifiable Deterioration Index (DI) to evaluate the intensity of deterioration of coral reefs in the Xisha Islands. The results showed that Yongxing Dao and Langhua Jiao had low recent deterioration (DIrecent = 0.05, IQR: 0.07-0.02 and 0.04, IQR: 0.11-0.01, respectively), while Bei Jiao, Yongle Atoll, Yuzhuo Jiao, and Panshi Yu had high recent deterioration (DIrecent > 0.16). Different monitoring sites within the same coral region were heterogeneous with regards to all above indexes. Moreover, we reviewed and discussed potential disturbances that threaten the health of the Xisha Islands' corals. It is crucial to identify severely afflicted areas and find successful methods to better manage coral reef health in this region.
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Cowen LJ, Putnam HM. Bioinformatics of Corals: Investigating Heterogeneous Omics Data from Coral Holobionts for Insight into Reef Health and Resilience. Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci 2022; 5:205-231. [PMID: 35537462 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-122120-030732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Coral reefs are home to over two million species and provide habitat for roughly 25% of all marine animals, but they are being severely threatened by pollution and climate change. A large amount of genomic, transcriptomic, and other omics data is becoming increasingly available from different species of reef-building corals, the unicellular dinoflagellates, and the coral microbiome (bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, etc.). Such new data present an opportunity for bioinformatics researchers and computational biologists to contribute to a timely, compelling, and urgent investigation of critical factors that influence reef health and resilience. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Data Science, Volume 5 is August 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenore J Cowen
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA;
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