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Horowitz J, Quattrini AM, Brugler MR, Miller DJ, Pahang K, Bridge TCL, Cowman PF. Bathymetric evolution of black corals through deep time. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231107. [PMID: 37788705 PMCID: PMC10547549 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1107] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep-sea lineages are generally thought to arise from shallow-water ancestors, but this hypothesis is based on a relatively small number of taxonomic groups. Anthozoans, which include corals and sea anemones, are significant contributors to the faunal diversity of the deep sea, but the timing and mechanisms of their invasion into this biome remain elusive. Here, we reconstruct a fully resolved, time-calibrated phylogeny of 83 species in the order Antipatharia (black coral) to investigate their bathymetric evolutionary history. Our reconstruction indicates that extant black coral lineages first diversified in continental slope depths (∼250-3000 m) during the early Silurian (∼437 millions of years ago (Ma)) and subsequently radiated into, and diversified within, both continental shelf (less than 250 m) and abyssal (greater than 3000 m) habitats. Ancestral state reconstruction analysis suggests that the appearance of morphological features that enhanced the ability of black corals to acquire nutrients coincided with their invasion of novel depths. Our findings have important conservation implications for anthozoan lineages, as the loss of 'source' slope lineages could threaten millions of years of evolutionary history and confound future invasion events, thereby warranting protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Horowitz
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th street and Constitution avenue North West, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Andrea M. Quattrini
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th street and Constitution avenue North West, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Mercer R. Brugler
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th street and Constitution avenue North West, Washington, DC 20560, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of South Carolina Beaufort, 1100 Boundary Street, Beaufort, SC 29902, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - David J. Miller
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Kristina Pahang
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
| | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Peter F. Cowman
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, 70-102 Flinders street, Townsville, Queensland 4810, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 101 Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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2
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Ip JCH, Ho MH, Chan BKK, Qiu JW. A draft genome assembly of reef-building octocoral Heliopora coerulea. Sci Data 2023; 10:381. [PMID: 37316548 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02291-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are under existential threat from climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Genomic studies have enhanced our knowledge of resilience and responses of some coral species to environmental stress, but reference genomes are lacking for many coral species. The blue coral Heliopora is the only reef-building octocoral genus and exhibits optimal growth at a temperature close to the bleaching threshold of scleractinian corals. Local and high-latitude expansions of Heliopora coerulea were reported in the last decade, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying its thermal resistance. We generated a draft genome of H. coerulea with an assembled size of 429.9 Mb, scaffold N50 of 1.42 Mb and BUSCO completeness of 94.9%. The genome contains 239.1 Mb repetitive sequences, 27,108 protein coding genes, 6,225 lncRNAs, and 79 miRNAs. This reference genome provides a valuable resource for in-depth studies on the adaptive mechanisms of corals under climate change and the evolution of skeleton in cnidarian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Chi-Ho Ip
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
| | - Ming-Hay Ho
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Benny K K Chan
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jian-Wen Qiu
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
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3
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Kessel GM, Alderslade P, Bilewitch JP, Schnabel KE, Gardner JPA. The use of integrative taxonomy in Octocorallia (Cnidaria: Anthozoa): a literature survey. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Octocorals are problematic in their systematics, and the extent of their biodiversity is poorly understood. Integrative taxonomy (the use of two or more lines of evidence for the delimitation and description of taxa) is seen as a promising way to produce more robust species hypotheses and achieve taxonomic progress in this group. However, many octocoral descriptions continue to rely on morphological evidence alone, and the prevalence of integrative methods is unclear. Here, a literature survey was conducted to gain an overview of historical description rates and to examine trends in the publication of integrative descriptions between the years 2000 and 2020. We find that recent description rates are among the highest in the history of octocoral taxonomy, and although increasing, integrative taxon descriptions remain in the minority overall. We also find that integrative taxonomy has been applied unevenly across octocoral groups and geographical regions. Description rates show no signs of slowing, and no ceiling of total species richness has yet come into view. Coupled with a continued overreliance on morphological variation, particularly at the species level, this suggests that we might be adding to the workload of taxa requiring future revision faster than such instances can be resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav M Kessel
- School of Biological Sciences, Te Toki a Rata Building L2, Victoria University of Wellington , Gate 7 Kelburn Parade, Wellington 6012 , New Zealand
| | - Philip Alderslade
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere , Castray Esplanade, Hobart, TAS 7000 , Australia
| | - Jaret P Bilewitch
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA) , 301 Evans Bay Parade, Wellington 6021 , New Zealand
| | - Kareen E Schnabel
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA) , 301 Evans Bay Parade, Wellington 6021 , New Zealand
| | - Jonathan P A Gardner
- School of Biological Sciences, Te Toki a Rata Building L2, Victoria University of Wellington , Gate 7 Kelburn Parade, Wellington 6012 , New Zealand
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Suyama Y, Hirota SK, Matsuo A, Tsunamoto Y, Mitsuyuki C, Shimura A, Okano K. Complementary combination of multiplex high‐throughput
DNA
sequencing for molecular phylogeny. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihisa Suyama
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Tohoku University Osaki Miyagi Japan
| | - Shun K. Hirota
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Tohoku University Osaki Miyagi Japan
| | - Ayumi Matsuo
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Tohoku University Osaki Miyagi Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Tsunamoto
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Tohoku University Osaki Miyagi Japan
| | - Chika Mitsuyuki
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Tohoku University Osaki Miyagi Japan
| | - Atsuki Shimura
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science Tohoku University Osaki Miyagi Japan
| | - Kunihiro Okano
- Department of Biological Environment Akita Prefectural University Akita Japan
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Comparison of sequence-capture and ddRAD approaches in resolving species and populations in hexacorallian anthozoans. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 163:107233. [PMID: 34139346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Genome-level sequencing is the next step in understanding species-level relationships within Anthozoa (soft corals, anemones, stony corals, and their kin) as morphological and PCR-directed (single-locus) sequencing methods often fall short of differentiating species. The sea anemone genus Metridium is a common northern temperate sea anemone whose species are difficult to differentiate using morphology alone. Here we use Metridium as a case study to confirm the low level of information available in six loci for species differentiation commonly sequenced for Actiniaria and explore and compare the efficacy of ddRAD and sequence-capture methods in species-level systematics and biogeographic studies. We produce phylogenetic trees from concatenated datasets and perform DAPC and STRUCTURE analyses using SNP data. The six conventional loci are not able to consistently differentiate species within Metridium. The sequence-capture dataset resulted in high support and resolution for both current species and relationships between geographic areas. The ddRAD datasets displayed ambiguity among species, and support between major geographic groupings was not as high as the sequence-capture datasets. The level of resolution and support resulting from the sequence-capture data, combined with the ability to add additional individuals and expand beyond the genus Metridium over time, emphasizes the utility of sequence-capture methods for both systematics and future biogeographic studies within anthozoans. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the genomic approaches in light of our findings and suggest potential implications for the biogeography of Metridium based on our sampling.
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Arrigoni R, Huang D, Berumen ML, Budd AF, Montano S, Richards ZT, Terraneo TI, Benzoni F. Integrative systematics of the scleractinian coral genera
Caulastraea
,
Erythrastrea
and
Oulophyllia. ZOOL SCR 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Arrigoni
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM) Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli Italy
| | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences and Tropical Marine Science Institute National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | - Michael L. Berumen
- Reef Ecology Laboratory Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Ann F. Budd
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Iowa Iowa City IA USA
| | - Simone Montano
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) University of Milano − Bicocca Milano Italy
- Marine Research and High Education Center Magoodhoo Island Faafu Atoll Maldives
| | - Zoe T. Richards
- Coral Conservation and Research Group, 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
| | - Tullia I. Terraneo
- Habitat and Benthic Biodiversity Laboratory Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Francesca Benzoni
- Habitat and Benthic Biodiversity Laboratory Red Sea Research Center Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Saudi Arabia
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Yorisue T, Iguchi A, Yasuda N, Mizuyama M, Yoshioka Y, Miyagi A, Fujita Y. Extensive gene flow among populations of the cavernicolous shrimp at the northernmost distribution margin in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191731. [PMID: 33204436 PMCID: PMC7657918 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine cave habitats in the Ryukyu Islands, Indo-West Pacific, are located at the northern edge of the distribution of many cave-dwelling species. At distribution margins, gene flow is often more restricted than that among core populations due to the smaller effective population size. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing technology to investigate the gene flow pattern among three sampling sites of a marine cave-dwelling species at the margin of its distribution range. We collected individuals of the barbouriid shrimp Parhippolyte misticia from three marine caves in the Ryukyu Islands and performed population genetic analyses by means of multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat genotyping by sequencing. Based on 62 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers, no clear population structure or directional gene flow pattern was found among the three sites. These results were unexpected because previous studies of other stygobitic shrimps in this region did find significant population genetic structures and northward directional gene flow patterns. Together, these inconsistent findings imply that marine cave-dwelling species in the region have different mechanisms of larval dispersal. Future studies on larval ecology and the biotic and abiotic factors influencing gene flow patterns are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying the population dynamics of marine cave-dwelling species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takefumi Yorisue
- Integrative Aquatic Biology, Onagawa Field Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 3-1 Mukai, Konori-hama, Onagawa, Oshika, Miyagi 986-2242, Japan
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), AIST Tsukuba Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan
- Institute of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Hyogo, 6 Yayoigaoka, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1546, Japan
- Division of Nature and Environmental Management, Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, 6 Yayoigaoka, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1546, Japan
| | - Akira Iguchi
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), AIST Tsukuba Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan
| | - Nina Yasuda
- Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Gakuenkibana-dai Nishi 1-1, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
| | - Masaru Mizuyama
- Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Yuki Yoshioka
- Department of Bioresources Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Okinawa College, 905, Henoko, Nago, Okinawa 905-2192, Japan
| | - Aika Miyagi
- Department of Bioresources Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Okinawa College, 905, Henoko, Nago, Okinawa 905-2192, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Fujita
- General Educational Center, Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, 1-4, Shuri Tounokura-cho, Naha-shi, Okinawa 903-8602, Japan
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8
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Palaeoclimate ocean conditions shaped the evolution of corals and their skeletons through deep time. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1531-1538. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01291-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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9
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Taninaka H, Bernardo LPC, Saito Y, Nagai S, Ueno M, Kitano YF, Nakamura T, Yasuda N. Limited fine-scale larval dispersal of the threatened brooding corals Heliopora spp. as evidenced by population genetics and numerical simulation. CONSERV GENET 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-019-01228-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Takata K, Taninaka H, Nonaka M, Iwase F, Kikuchi T, Suyama Y, Nagai S, Yasuda N. Multiplexed ISSR genotyping by sequencing distinguishes two precious coral species (Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Coralliidae) that share a mitochondrial haplotype. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7769. [PMID: 31598424 PMCID: PMC6779117 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Precious corals known as coralliid corals (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) play an important role in increasing the biodiversity of the deep sea. Currently, these corals are highly threatened because of overfishing that has been brought on by an increased demand and elevated prices for them.The deep sea precious corals Pleurocorallium elatius and P. konojoi are distributed in Japanese waters and have distinct morphological features: (1) the terminal branches of the colony form of P. elatius are very fine, while those of P. konojoi are blunt and rounded, (2) the autozooids of P. elatius are arranged in approximately four rows, while those of P. konojoi are clustered in groups. However, previous genetic analysis using mtDNA and nuclear DNA did not indicate monophyly. Therefore, it is important to clarify their species status to allow for their conservation. Methodology We collected a total of 87 samples (60 of Corallium japonicum and 27 of P. konojoi) from around the Ryukyu Islands and Shikoku Island, which are geographically separated by approximately 1,300 km. We used a multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq) and obtained 223 SNPs with which to perform STRUCTURE analysis and principle coordinate analysis (PCoA). In addition, two relatively polymorphic mtDNA regions were sequenced and compared. Results P. elatius and P. konojoi share a same mtDNA haplotype, which has been previously reported. However, MIG-seq analysis clearly distinguished the two species based on PCoA and STRUCTURE analysis, including 5% of species-specific fixed SNPs. Conclusion This study indicated that P. elatius and P. konojoi are different species and therefore both species should be conserved separately. Our findings highlight the importance of the conservation of these two species, especially P. elatius, whose population has been dramatically depleted over the last 100 years. The study also demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of MIG-seq for defining closely related octocoral species that were otherwise indistinguishable using traditional genetic markers (mtDNA and EF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Takata
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.,Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Hiroki Taninaka
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Agriculture and Engineering, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Masanori Nonaka
- Okinawa Churashima Foundation Reseach Center, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan
| | | | - Taisei Kikuchi
- Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Suyama
- Field Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nagai
- National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nina Yasuda
- Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
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Guzman C, Atrigenio M, Shinzato C, Aliño P, Conaco C. Warm seawater temperature promotes substrate colonization by the blue coral, Heliopora coerulea. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7785. [PMID: 31579631 PMCID: PMC6768060 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Heliopora coerulea, the blue coral, is a reef building octocoral that is reported to have a higher optimum temperature for growth compared to most scleractinian corals. This octocoral has been observed to grow over both live and dead scleractinians and to dominate certain reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. The molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of H. coerulea to tolerate warmer seawater temperatures and to effectively compete for space on the substrate remain to be elucidated. Methods In this study, we subjected H. coerulea colonies to various temperatures for up to 3 weeks. The growth and photosynthetic efficiency rates of the coral colonies were measured. We then conducted pairwise comparisons of gene expression among the different coral tissue regions to identify genes and pathways that are expressed under different temperature conditions. Results A horizontal growth rate of 1.13 ± 0.25 mm per week was observed for corals subjected to 28 or 31 °C. This growth rate was significantly higher compared to corals exposed at 26 °C. This new growth was characterized by the extension of whitish tissue at the edges of the colony and was enriched for a matrix metallopeptidase, a calcium and integrin binding protein, and other transcripts with unknown function. Tissues at the growth margin and the adjacent calcified encrusting region were enriched for transcripts related to proline and riboflavin metabolism, nitrogen utilization, and organic cation transport. The calcified digitate regions, on the other hand, were enriched for transcripts encoding proteins involved in cell-matrix adhesion, translation, receptor-mediated endocytosis, photosynthesis, and ion transport. Functions related to lipid biosynthesis, extracellular matrix formation, cell migration, and oxidation-reduction processes were enriched at the growth margin in corals subjected for 3 weeks to 28 or 31 °C relative to corals at 26 °C. In the digitate region of the coral, transcripts encoding proteins that protect against oxidative stress, modify cell membrane composition, and mediate intercellular signaling pathways were enriched after just 24 h of exposure to 31 °C compared to corals at 28 °C. The overall downregulation of gene expression observed after 3 weeks of sustained exposure to 31 °C is likely compensated by symbiont metabolism. Discussion These findings reveal that the different regions of H. coerulea have variable gene expression profiles and responses to temperature variation. Under warmer conditions, the blue coral invests cellular resources toward extracellular matrix formation and cellular migration at the colony margins, which may promote rapid tissue growth and extension. This mechanism enables the coral to colonize adjacent reef substrates and successfully overgrow slower growing scleractinian corals that may already be more vulnerable to warming ocean waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Guzman
- Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.,Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Michael Atrigenio
- Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Chuya Shinzato
- Department of Marine Bioscience, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Porfirio Aliño
- Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Cecilia Conaco
- Marine Science Institute, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
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