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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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2
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Reigel AM, Easson CG, Apprill A, Freeman CJ, Bartley MM, Fiore CL. Sponge-derived matter is assimilated by coral holobionts. Commun Biol 2024; 7:146. [PMID: 38308082 PMCID: PMC10837432 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05836-z] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Coral reef biodiversity is maintained by a complex network of nutrient recycling among organisms. Sponges assimilate nutrients produced by other organisms like coral and algae, releasing them as particulate and dissolved matter, but to date, only a single trophic link between sponge-derived dissolved matter and a macroalgae has been identified. We sought to determine if sponge-coral nutrient exchange is reciprocal using a stable isotope 'pulse-chase' experiment to trace the uptake of 13C and 15N sponge-derived matter by the coral holobiont for three coral species (Acropora cervicornis, Orbicella faveolata, and Eunicea flexuosa). Coral holobionts incorporated 2.3-26.8x more 15N than 13C from sponge-derived matter and A. cervicornis incorporated more of both C and N than the other corals. Differential isotopic incorporation among coral species aligns with their ecophysiological characteristics (e.g., morphology, Symbiodiniaceae density). Our results elucidate a recycling pathway on coral reefs that has implications for improving coral aquaculture and management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cole G Easson
- Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Amy Apprill
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, RI, USA
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3
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Coffroth MA, Buccella LA, Eaton KM, Lasker HR, Gooding AT, Franklin H. What makes a winner? Symbiont and host dynamics determine Caribbean octocoral resilience to bleaching. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj6788. [PMID: 37992160 PMCID: PMC10664981 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj6788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Unlike reef-building, scleractinian corals, Caribbean soft corals (octocorals) have not suffered marked declines in abundance associated with anthropogenic ocean warming. Both octocorals and reef-building scleractinians depend on a nutritional symbiosis with single-celled algae living within their tissues. In both groups, increased ocean temperatures can induce symbiont loss (bleaching) and coral death. Multiple heat waves from 2014 to 2016 resulted in widespread damage to reef ecosystems and provided an opportunity to examine the bleaching response of three Caribbean octocoral species. Symbiont densities declined during the heat waves but recovered quickly, and colony mortality was low. The dominant symbiont genotypes within a host generally did not change, and all colonies hosted symbiont species in the genus Breviolum. Their association with thermally tolerant symbionts likely contributes to the octocoral holobiont's resistance to mortality and the resilience of their symbiont populations. The resistance and resilience of Caribbean octocorals offer clues for the future of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Louis A. Buccella
- Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University at Buffalo, Buffalo NY 14260, USA
| | - Katherine M. Eaton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Howard R. Lasker
- Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Alyssa T. Gooding
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Harleena Franklin
- Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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Barrows AR, Hancock JR, Cohen DL, Gorong P, Lewis M, Louie S, Musselman L, Caruso C, Miller S, Drury C. Enhancing survivorship and growth of juvenile Montipora capitata using the Hawaiian collector urchin Tripneustes gratilla. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16113. [PMID: 37790625 PMCID: PMC10542273 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The biodiversity of coral reef habitats is rapidly declining due to the effects of anthropogenic climate change, prompting the use of active restoration as a mitigation strategy. Sexual propagation can maintain or enhance genetic diversity in restoration of these ecosystems, but these approaches suffer from a range of inefficiencies in rearing and husbandry. Algal overgrowth of juveniles is a major bottleneck in the production of sexually propagated corals that may be alleviated by co-culture with herbivores. We reared juvenile Montipora capitata alongside juvenile native Hawaiian collector urchins, Tripneustes gratilla, for 15 weeks and documented significant ecological benefits of co-culture. Urchin treatments significantly increased the survivorship of coral aggregates (14%) and individual settlers (24%). We also documented a significant increase in coral growth in the presence of urchins. These results demonstrate the utility of microherbivory in promoting coral growth and survivorship in ex situ conditions, providing valuable insight for restoration pipelines of native Hawaiian coral species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Barrows
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Kāne‘ohe, HI, United States
| | - Joshua R. Hancock
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Kāne‘ohe, HI, United States
| | - David L. Cohen
- Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Patrick Gorong
- Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Matthew Lewis
- Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Sean Louie
- Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Lani Musselman
- Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Carlo Caruso
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Kāne‘ohe, HI, United States
| | - Spencer Miller
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Kāne‘ohe, HI, United States
| | - Crawford Drury
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i, Kāne‘ohe, HI, United States
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5
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Hackerott S, Virdis F, Flood PJ, Souto DG, Paez W, Eirin-Lopez JM. Relationships between phenotypic plasticity and epigenetic variation in two Caribbean Acropora corals. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4814-4828. [PMID: 37454286 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The plastic ability for a range of phenotypes to be exhibited by the same genotype allows organisms to respond to environmental variation and may modulate fitness in novel environments. Differing capacities for phenotypic plasticity within a population, apparent as genotype by environment interactions (GxE), can therefore have both ecological and evolutionary implications. Epigenetic gene regulation alters gene function in response to environmental cues without changes to the underlying genetic sequence and likely mediates phenotypic variation. DNA methylation is currently the most well described epigenetic mechanism and is related to transcriptional homeostasis in invertebrates. However, evidence quantitatively linking variation in DNA methylation with that of phenotype is lacking in some taxa, including reef-building corals. In this study, spatial and seasonal environmental variation in Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands was utilized to assess relationships between physiology and DNA methylation profiles within genetic clones across different genotypes of Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata corals. The physiology of both species was highly influenced by environmental variation compared to the effect of genotype. GxE effects on phenotype were only apparent in A. cervicornis. DNA methylation in both species differed between genotypes and seasons and epigenetic variation was significantly related to coral physiological metrics. Furthermore, plastic shifts in physiology across seasons were significantly positively correlated with shifts in DNA methylation profiles in both species. These results highlight the dynamic influence of environmental conditions and genetic constraints on the physiology of two important Caribbean coral species. Additionally, this study provides quantitative support for the role of epigenetic DNA methylation in mediating phenotypic plasticity in invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Hackerott
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Francesca Virdis
- Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire, Kralendijk, Caribbean Netherlands
| | - Peter J Flood
- Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Daniel Garcia Souto
- Genomes and Disease, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Wendy Paez
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Jose M Eirin-Lopez
- Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
- Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
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Ouédraogo DY, Mell H, Perceval O, Burga K, Domart-Coulon I, Hédouin L, Delaunay M, Guillaume MMM, Castelin M, Calvayrac C, Kerkhof O, Sordello R, Reyjol Y, Ferrier-Pagès C. What are the toxicity thresholds of chemical pollutants for tropical reef-building corals? A systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE 2023; 12:4. [PMID: 39294817 PMCID: PMC11378836 DOI: 10.1186/s13750-023-00298-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tropical coral reefs cover only ca. 0.1% of the Earth's surface but harbour exceptional marine biodiversity and provide vital ecosystem services to millions of people living nearby. They are currently threatened by global (e.g. climate change) and local (e.g. chemical pollution) stressors that interact in multiple ways. While global stressors cannot be mitigated by local actions alone, local stressors can be reduced through ecosystem management. Here, we aimed to systematically review experimental studies assessing the toxicity of chemical pollutants to tropical reef-building corals to generate accessible and usable knowledge and data that can be used to calculate measurement endpoints in ecological risk assessment. From the quantitative estimates of effects, we determined toxicity thresholds as the highest exposures tested at which no statistically significant adverse effects were observed, and we compared them to regulatory predicted no effect concentrations for the protection of marine organisms, to assess whether these reference values are indeed protective of corals. METHODS The evidence was taken from a systematic map of the impacts of chemicals arising from human activity on tropical reef-building corals published in 2021. All studies in the map database corresponding to the knowledge cluster "Evidence on the ecotoxicological effects of chemicals on corals" were selected. To identify subsequently published literature, the search was updated using a subset of the search string used for the systematic map. Titles, abstracts and full-texts were screened according to the criteria defining the selected cluster of the map. Because the eligibility criteria for the systematic review are narrower than the criteria used to define the cluster in the systematic map, additional screening was performed. Studies included were critically appraised and each study was rated as low, unclear, medium, or high risk of bias. Data were extracted from the studies and synthesised according to a strategy dependent on the type of exposure and outcome. REVIEW FINDINGS The systematic review reports the known effects of chemical exposures on corals from 847 studies corresponding to 181 articles. A total of 697 studies (161 articles) were included in the quantitative synthesis and 150 studies (50 articles) in the narrative synthesis of the findings. The quantitative synthesis records the effects of 2706 exposure concentrations-durations of 164 chemicals or mixtures of chemicals, and identifies 105 toxicity thresholds corresponding to 56 chemicals or mixtures of chemicals. When toxicity thresholds were compared to reference values set for the protection of marine organisms by environmental agencies, the reference values appear to be protective of corals for all but three chemicals assessed: the metal copper and the pesticides diuron and irgarol 1051. CONCLUSIONS This open-access database of known ecotoxicological effects of chemical exposures on corals can assist managers in the ecological risk assessment of chemicals, by allowing easy determination of various ecotoxicological thresholds. Several limitations of the toxicity tests synthesised here were noted (in particular the lack of measurement of effective concentrations for more than half of the studies). Overall, most of the currently available data on coral toxicity should be replicated independently and extended to corals from less studied geographical regions and functional groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakis-Yaoba Ouédraogo
- Direction de L'Expertise, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Hugo Mell
- UMS Patrimoine Naturel (PatriNat), OFB-MNHN-CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Perceval
- Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB), 94300, Vincennes, France
| | - Karen Burga
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), 94701, Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France
| | - Isabelle Domart-Coulon
- Laboratoire Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM), UMR 7245, CNRS-Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), 75005, Paris, France
| | - Laetitia Hédouin
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, 66860, Perpignan, France
- USR 3278 CRIOBE, PSL Université Paris : EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, 98729, Papetoai, Mo'orea, French Polynesia
| | - Mathilde Delaunay
- UMS Patrimoine Naturel (PatriNat), OFB-MNHN-CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Mireille M M Guillaume
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, 66860, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire de Biologie Des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOrEA), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle-CNRS - SorbonneU - IRD - UCN - UA EcoFunc - Aviv, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Magalie Castelin
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle - CNRS - Sorbonne Université - EPHE - Université des Antilles, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Calvayrac
- Biocapteurs Analyses Environnement, University of Perpignan via Domitia, 66000, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Biotechnologies Microbiennes (LBBM), Sorbonne Universités - CNRS, 66650, Banyuls Sur Mer, France
| | - Odile Kerkhof
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), 94701, Maisons-Alfort Cedex, France
| | - Romain Sordello
- UMS Patrimoine Naturel (PatriNat), OFB-MNHN-CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Yorick Reyjol
- UMS Patrimoine Naturel (PatriNat), OFB-MNHN-CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
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Walker NS, Nestor V, Golbuu Y, Palumbi SR. Coral bleaching resistance variation is linked to differential mortality and skeletal growth during recovery. Evol Appl 2023; 16:504-517. [PMID: 36793702 PMCID: PMC9923480 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of global coral bleaching has focused much attention on the possibility of interventions to increase heat resistance. However, if high heat resistance is linked to fitness tradeoffs that may disadvantage corals in other areas, then a more holistic view of heat resilience may be beneficial. In particular, overall resilience of a species to heat stress is likely to be the product of both resistance to heat and recovery from heat stress. Here, we investigate heat resistance and recovery among individual Acropora hyacinthus colonies in Palau. We divided corals into low, moderate, and high heat resistance categories based on the number of days (4-9) needed to reach significant pigmentation loss due to experimental heat stress. Afterward, we deployed corals back onto a reef in a common garden 6-month recovery experiment that monitored chlorophyll a, mortality, and skeletal growth. Heat resistance was negatively correlated with mortality during early recovery (0-1 month) but not late recovery (4-6 months), and chlorophyll a concentration recovered in heat-stressed corals by 1-month postbleaching. However, moderate-resistance corals had significantly greater skeletal growth than high-resistance corals by 4 months of recovery. High- and low-resistance corals on average did not exhibit skeletal growth within the observed recovery period. These data suggest complex tradeoffs may exist between coral heat resistance and recovery and highlight the importance of incorporating multiple aspects of resilience into future reef management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nia S. Walker
- Department of BiologyHopkins Marine Station of Stanford UniversityPacific GroveCaliforniaUSA
- Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawai‘i at MānoaKāneʻoheHawaiiUSA
| | | | | | - Stephen R. Palumbi
- Department of BiologyHopkins Marine Station of Stanford UniversityPacific GroveCaliforniaUSA
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Singh T, Sakai K, Ishida-Castañeda J, Iguchi A. Short-term improvement of heat tolerance in naturally growing Acropora corals in Okinawa. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14629. [PMID: 36627918 PMCID: PMC9826613 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14629] [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: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass bleaching and subsequent mortality of reef corals by heat stress has increased globally since the late 20th century, due to global warming. Some experimental studies have reported that corals may increase heat tolerance for short periods, but only a few such studies have monitored naturally-growing colonies. Therefore, we monitored the survival, growth, and bleaching status of Acropora corals in fixed plots by distinguishing individual colonies on a heat-sensitive reef flat in Okinawa, Japan. The level of heat stress, assessed by the modified version of degree heating week duration in July and August, when the seawater temperature was the highest, was minimally but significantly higher in 2017 than in 2016; however, the same colonies exhibited less bleaching and mortality in 2017 than in 2016. Another study conducted at the same site showed that the dominant unicellular endosymbiotic algal species did not change before and after the 2016 bleaching, indicating that shifting and switching of the Symbiodiniaceae community did not contribute to improved heat tolerance. Colonies that suffered from partial mortality in 2016 were completely bleached at higher rates in 2017 than those without partial mortality in 2016. The present results suggest that either genetic or epigenetic changes in coral hosts and/or algal symbionts, or the shifting or switching of microbes other than endosymbionts, may have improved coral holobiont heat tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Singh
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Sakai
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Jun Ishida-Castañeda
- Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Akira Iguchi
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan,Research Laboratory on Environmentally-Conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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Marzonie MR, Bay LK, Bourne DG, Hoey AS, Matthews S, Nielsen JJV, Harrison HB. The effects of marine heatwaves on acute heat tolerance in corals. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:404-416. [PMID: 36285622 PMCID: PMC10092175 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Scleractinian coral populations are increasingly exposed to conditions above their upper thermal limits due to marine heatwaves, contributing to global declines of coral reef ecosystem health. However, historic mass bleaching events indicate there is considerable inter- and intra-specific variation in thermal tolerance whereby species, individual coral colonies and populations show differential susceptibility to exposure to elevated temperatures. Despite this, we lack a clear understanding of how heat tolerance varies across large contemporary and historical environmental gradients, or the selective pressures that underpin this variation. Here we conducted standardised acute heat stress experiments to identify variation in heat tolerance among species and isolated reefs spanning a large environmental gradient across the Coral Sea Marine Park. We quantified the photochemical yield (Fv /Fm ) of coral samples in three coral species, Acropora cf humilis, Pocillopora meandrina, and Pocillopora verrucosa, following exposure to four temperature treatments (local ambient temperatures, and + 3°C, +6°C and + 9°C above local maximum monthly mean). We quantified the temperature at which Fv /Fm decreased by 50% (termed ED50) and used derived values to directly compare acute heat tolerance across reefs and species. The ED50 for Acropora was 0.4-0.7°C lower than either Pocillopora species, with a 0.3°C difference between the two Pocillopora species. We also recorded 0.9°C to 1.9°C phenotypic variation in heat tolerance among reefs within species, indicating spatial heterogeneity in heat tolerance across broad environmental gradients. Acute heat tolerance had a strong positive relationship to mild heatwave exposure over the past 35 years (since 1986) but was negatively related to recent severe heatwaves (2016-2020). Phenotypic variation associated with mild thermal history in local environments provides supportive evidence that marine heatwaves are selecting for tolerant individuals and populations; however, this adaptive potential may be compromised by the exposure to recent severe heatwaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magena R. Marzonie
- Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- AIMS@JCUTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Line K. Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- AIMS@JCUTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - David G. Bourne
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Andrew S. Hoey
- Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Samuel Matthews
- Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Josephine J. V. Nielsen
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- AIMS@JCUTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary SciencesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Hugo B. Harrison
- Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- AIMS@JCUTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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10
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Fu JR, Zhou J, Zhang YP, Liu L. Effects of Caulerpa taxifolia on Physiological Processes and Gene Expression of Acropora hyacinthus during Thermal Stress. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121792. [PMID: 36552301 PMCID: PMC9775474 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
An increasing ecological phase shift from coral-dominated reefs to macroalgae-dominated reefs as a result of anthropogenic impacts, such as eutrophication, sedimentation, and overfishing, has been observed in many reef systems around the world. Ocean warming is a universal threat to both corals and macroalgae, which may alter the outcome of competition between them. Therefore, in order to explore the effects of indirect and direct exposure to macroalgae on the physiological, biochemical, and genetic expression of corals at elevated temperature, the coral Acropora hyacinthus and highly invasive green algae Caulerpa taxifolia were chosen. Physiologically, the results exhibited that, between the control and direct contact treatments, the density and chlorophyll a content of zooxanthella decreased by 53.1% and 71.2%, respectively, when the coral indirectly contacted with the algae at an ambient temperature (27 °C). Moreover, the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in coral tissue were enhanced by interacting with algae. After an increase of 3 °C, the density and chlorophyll a content of the zooxanthella reduced by 84.4% and 93.8%, respectively, whereas the enzyme activities of SOD and CAT increased 2.3- and 3.1-fold. However, only the zooxanthellae density and pigment content decreased when Caulerpa taxifolia was co-cultured with Acropora hyacinthus at 30 °C. Molecularly, different from the control group, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) such as Rab family, ATG family, and Casp7 genes were significantly enriched in the endocytosis, autophagy, and apoptosis pathways, regardless of whether Acropora hyacinthus was directly or indirectly exposed to Caulerpa taxifolia at 27 °C. Under thermal stress without algae interaction, the DEGs were significantly enriched in the microbial immune signal transduction pathways, such as the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway, while multiple cellular immunity (IFI47, TRAF family) and oxidative stress (CAT, SODC, HSP70) genes were upregulated. Inversely, compared with corals without interaction with algae at 30 °C, the DEGs of the corals that interacted with Caulerpa taxifolia at 30 °C were remarkably enriched in apoptosis and the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, including the transcription factors such as the Casp family and TRAF family. In conclusion, the density and chlorophyll a content of zooxanthella maintained a fading tendency induced by the macroalgae at ambient temperatures. The oxidative stress and immune response levels of the coral was elevated at 30 °C, but the macroalgae alleviated the negative effects triggered by thermal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Rong Fu
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Yan-Ping Zhang
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
| | - Li Liu
- Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
- Guangdong Laboratory of Southern Ocean Science and Engineering, Zhanjiang 524025, China
- Correspondence:
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11
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Evidence for adaptive morphological plasticity in the Caribbean coral, Acropora cervicornis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2203925119. [PMID: 36442118 PMCID: PMC9894258 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203925119] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Genotype-by-environment interactions (GxE) indicate that variation in organismal traits cannot be explained by fixed effects of genetics or site-specific plastic responses alone. For tropical coral reefs experiencing dramatic environmental change, identifying the contributions of genotype, environment, and GxE on coral performance will be vital for both predicting persistence and developing restoration strategies. We quantified the impacts of G, E, and GxE on the morphology and survival of the endangered coral, Acropora cervicornis, through an in situ transplant experiment exposing common garden (nursery)-raised clones of ten genotypes to nine reef sites in the Florida Keys. By fate-tracking outplants over one year with colony-level 3D photogrammetry, we uncovered significant GxE on coral size, shape, and survivorship, indicating that no universal winner exists in terms of colony performance. Rather than differences in mean trait values, we found that individual-level morphological plasticity is adaptive in that the most plastic individuals also exhibited the fastest growth and highest survival. This indicates that adaptive morphological plasticity may continue to evolve, influencing the success of A. cervicornis and resulting reef communities in a changing climate. As focal reefs are active restoration sites, the knowledge that variation in phenotype is an important predictor of performance can be directly applied to restoration planning. Taken together, these results establish A. cervicornis as a system for studying the ecoevolutionary dynamics of phenotypic plasticity that also can inform genetic- and environment-based strategies for coral restoration.
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Drury C, Dilworth J, Majerová E, Caruso C, Greer JB. Expression plasticity regulates intraspecific variation in the acclimatization potential of a reef-building coral. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4790. [PMID: 35970904 PMCID: PMC9378650 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32452-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is an important ecological and evolutionary response for organisms experiencing environmental change, but the ubiquity of this capacity within coral species and across symbiont communities is unknown. We exposed ten genotypes of the reef-building coral Montipora capitata with divergent symbiont communities to four thermal pre-exposure profiles and quantified gene expression before stress testing 4 months later. Here we show two pre-exposure profiles significantly enhance thermal tolerance despite broadly different expression patterns and substantial variation in acclimatization potential based on coral genotype. There was no relationship between a genotype's basal thermal sensitivity and ability to acquire heat tolerance, including in corals harboring naturally tolerant symbionts, which illustrates the potential for additive improvements in coral response to climate change. These results represent durable improvements from short-term stress hardening of reef-building corals and substantial cryptic complexity in the capacity for plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenna Dilworth
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eva Majerová
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Carlo Caruso
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne'ohe, HI, USA
| | - Justin B Greer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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Williams SD, Klinges JG, Zinman S, Clark AS, Bartels E, Villoch Diaz Maurino M, Muller EM. Geographically driven differences in microbiomes of Acropora cervicornis originating from different regions of Florida's Coral Reef. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13574. [PMID: 35729906 PMCID: PMC9206844 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective coral restoration must include comprehensive investigations of the targeted coral community that consider all aspects of the coral holobiont-the coral host, symbiotic algae, and microbiome. For example, the richness and composition of microorganisms associated with corals may be indicative of the corals' health status and thus help guide restoration activities. Potential differences in microbiomes of restoration corals due to differences in host genetics, environmental condition, or geographic location, may then influence outplant success. The objective of the present study was to characterize and compare the microbiomes of apparently healthy Acropora cervicornis genotypes that were originally collected from environmentally distinct regions of Florida's Coral Reef and sampled after residing within Mote Marine Laboratory's in situ nursery near Looe Key, FL (USA) for multiple years. By using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, we described the microbial communities of 74 A. cervicornis genotypes originating from the Lower Florida Keys (n = 40 genotypes), the Middle Florida Keys (n = 15 genotypes), and the Upper Florida Keys (n = 19 genotypes). Our findings demonstrated that the bacterial communities of A. cervicornis originating from the Lower Keys were significantly different from the bacterial communities of those originating from the Upper and Middle Keys even after these corals were held within the same common garden nursery for an average of 3.4 years. However, the bacterial communities of corals originating in the Upper Keys were not significantly different from those in the Middle Keys. The majority of the genotypes, regardless of collection region, were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, namely an obligate intracellular parasite of the genus Ca. Aquarickettsia. Genotypes from the Upper and Middle Keys also had high relative abundances of Spirochaeta bacteria. Several genotypes originating from both the Lower and Upper Keys had lower abundances of Aquarickettsia, resulting in significantly higher species richness and diversity. Low abundance of Aquarickettsia has been previously identified as a signature of disease resistance. While the low-Aquarickettsia corals from both the Upper and Lower Keys had high abundances of an unclassified Proteobacteria, the genotypes in the Upper Keys were also dominated by Spirochaeta. The results of this study suggest that the abundance of Aquarickettsia and Spirochaeta may play an important role in distinguishing bacterial communities among A. cervicornis populations and compositional differences of these bacterial communities may be driven by regional processes that are influenced by both the environmental history and genetic relatedness of the host. Additionally, the high microbial diversity of low-Aquarickettsia genotypes may provide resilience to their hosts, and these genotypes may be a potential resource for restoration practices and management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - J. Grace Klinges
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Samara Zinman
- Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, United States of America
| | - Abigail S. Clark
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America,The College of the Florida Keys, Key West, FL, United States of America
| | - Erich Bartels
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Marina Villoch Diaz Maurino
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, United States of America
| | - Erinn M. Muller
- Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States of America
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14
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Maurer L, Puishys L, Ho NKP, Dahlgren C, Kamerman TY, Martin S, Stamper MA. Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata cultured on a low maintenance line nursery design in The Bahamas. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267034. [PMID: 35468162 PMCID: PMC9037939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acroporid corals are one of the most important corals in the Caribbean because of their role in building coral reefs. Unfortunately, Acropora corals have suffered a severe decline in the last 50 years thus prompting the development of many restoration practices, such as coral nurseries, to increase the abundance of these species. However, many coral nursery designs require constant visits and maintenance limiting restoration to more convenient sites. Additionally, most studies lack the details required for practitioners to make informed decisions about replicating nursery designs. Two line nurseries were monitored for three years in The Bahamas to assess the survival of corals, Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata, as well as evaluate the durability and cost effectiveness of the nursery design. Survivorship ranged from 70 to 97% with one location experiencing significantly higher survivorship. The initial year build-out cost was high for a nursery, $22.97 per coral, but each nursery was comprised of specific materials that could withstand high storm conditions. Some unique aspects of the design included the use of longline clips and large-diameter monofilament lines which allowed for easier adjustments and more vigorous cleaning. The design proved to be very durable with materials showing a life expectancy of five years or more. Additionally, the design was able to withstand multiple hurricanes and winter storm conditions with little to no damage. Only two maintenance visits a year were required reducing costs after construction. After three years, this nursery design showed promising durability of materials and survivorship of both Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata despite being serviced just twice a year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Maurer
- Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
- New College of Florida, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Lauren Puishys
- Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
- New College of Florida, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
| | - Nancy Kim Pham Ho
- Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
| | - Craig Dahlgren
- Perry Institute for Marine Science, Waitsfield, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Tanya Y. Kamerman
- Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, Dania Beach, Florida, United States of America
| | - Scott Martin
- Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
| | - M. Andrew Stamper
- Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States of America
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15
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Henley EM, Bouwmeester J, Jury CP, Toonen RJ, Quinn M, Lager CV, Hagedorn M. Growth and survival among Hawaiian corals outplanted from tanks to an ocean nursery are driven by individual genotype and species differences rather than preconditioning to thermal stress. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13112. [PMID: 35345587 PMCID: PMC8957268 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The drastic decline in coral coverage has stimulated an interest in reef restoration, and various iterations of coral nurseries have been used to augment restoration strategies. Here we examine the growth of two species of Hawaiian Montipora that were maintained in mesocosms under either ambient or warmed annual bleaching conditions for two consecutive years prior to outplanting to determine whether preconditioning aided coral restoration efforts. Using coral trees to create a nearby ocean nursery, we examined whether: (1) previous ex situ mesocosm growth would mirror in situ coral tree nursery growth; and (2) thermal ex situ stress-hardening would predict future success during natural warming events in situ for corals moved from tanks to trees. For Montipora capitata, we found that variation in growth was explained primarily by genotype; growth rates in the mesocosms were similar to those in situ, irrespective of preconditioning. Variation in M. flabellata growth, however, was explained by both genotype and culture method such that an individual M. flabellata colony that grew well in the tanks did not necessarily perform as well on the coral trees. For both species, previous exposure to elevated temperatures in the mesocosms provided no benefit to either growth or survival during a warming event in the coral tree nursery compared to those grown in ambient temperatures. Overall, M. capitata performed better in the tree nursery with higher net growth, lower mortality, and was subject to less predation than M. flabellata. Our results show little benefit of the additional cost and time of stress-hardening these corals prior to outplanting because it is unlikely to aid resilience to future warming events. These results also suggest that selecting corals for restoration based on long-term genotype growth performance may be more effective for optimal outcomes but should be weighed against other factors, such as coral morphology, in situ nursery method, location, and other characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Michael Henley
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Jessica Bouwmeester
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Christopher P. Jury
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Robert J. Toonen
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Mariko Quinn
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Claire V.A. Lager
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
| | - Mary Hagedorn
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, Virginia, United States,Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States
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16
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Merck DE, Petrik CG, Manfroy AA, Muller EM. Optimizing seawater temperature conditions to increase the productivity of ex situ coral nurseries. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13017. [PMID: 35287349 PMCID: PMC8917797 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Large scale ex situ propagation of coral colonies for reef restoration is a relatively new and developing field. One of the many advantages of utilizing ex situ coral nurseries is the ability to optimize water quality conditions for coral health and survival. Slight alterations in environmental parameters (light, pH, temperature etc.) can affect the health and grow-out time of cultured coral, ultimately influencing production rates. However, corals are also subjected to pests associated with culture facilities such as ciliates, cyanobacterial blooms, and infectious diseases. Therefore, adjusting environmental parameters to optimize coral growth for a shorter ex situ residency time will lead to greater survival and faster restoration. Studies indicate that some coral species demonstrate parabolic tissue growth in response to increasing sea-surface temperatures until the maximum temperature tolerance is reached, whereafter they bleach. To maximize coral growth in Mote Marine Laboratory's ex situ system, we tested the effect of two water temperature treatments (high temperature: 29.5 ± 0.03 °C; control: 25.2 ± 0.08 °C) on two coral species commonly used in reef restoration. To quantify this, we used four replicates of three genotypes each of Montastraea cavernosa (n = 12) and Acropora palmata (n = 12). Two-dimensional tissue area was recorded monthly using ImageJ and survival rates within each treatment were documented for 7 months. Results found that M. cavernosa had greater growth rates and equal survivorship in the high temperature treatment compared to the control treatment. A. palmata grew faster and had equal survivorship in the control treatment compared with the high temperature treatment. These results suggest that temperature preferences exist among coral species within ex situ systems and restoration practitioners should consider species-specific temperature regimes to maximize ex situ coral growth rates. This information is critical for optimizing production when corals are in the grow-out stage and should also be considered when designing ex situ systems to ensure temperature regulation can be controlled on a species-specific basis.
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17
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The Effects of Depth-Related Environmental Factors on Traits in Acropora cervicornis Raised in Nurseries. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14020212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Populations of Acropora cervicornis, one of the most important reef-building corals in the Caribbean, have been declining due to human activities and global climate change. This has prompted the development of strategies such as coral farms, aimed at improving the long-term viability of this coral across its geographical range. This study focuses on comprehending how seawater temperature (ST), and light levels (LL) affect the survival and growth of A. cervicornis fragments collected from three reefs in Culebra, Puerto Rico. These individuals were fragmented into three pieces of the similar sizes and placed in farms at 5, 8, and 12 m depth. The fragments, ST and LL were monitored for 11 months. Results show that fragments from shallow farms exhibit significantly higher mortalities when compared to the other two depths. Yet, growth at shallow farms was nearly 24% higher than at the other two depths. Corals grew fastest during winter, when temperature and LL were lowest, regardless of the water depth. Fragment mortality and growth origin were also influenced by reef origin. We conclude that under the current conditions, shallow farms may offer a slight advantage over deep ones provided the higher growth rate at shallow farms and the high fragment survival at all depths.
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18
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Johnson MD, Swaminathan SD, Nixon EN, Paul VJ, Altieri AH. Differential susceptibility of reef-building corals to deoxygenation reveals remarkable hypoxia tolerance. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23168. [PMID: 34848743 PMCID: PMC8632909 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01078-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ocean deoxygenation threatens the persistence of coastal ecosystems worldwide. Despite an increasing awareness that coastal deoxygenation impacts tropical habitats, there remains a paucity of empirical data on the effects of oxygen limitation on reef-building corals. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted laboratory experiments with ecologically important Caribbean corals Acropora cervicornis and Orbicella faveolata. We tested the effects of continuous exposure to conditions ranging from extreme deoxygenation to normoxia (~ 1.0 to 6.25 mg L-1 dissolved oxygen) on coral bleaching, photophysiology, and survival. Coral species demonstrated markedly different temporal resistance to deoxygenation, and within a species there were minimal genotype-specific treatment effects. Acropora cervicornis suffered tissue loss and mortality within a day of exposure to severe deoxygenation (~ 1.0 mg L-1), whereas O. faveolata remained unaffected after 11 days of continuous exposure to 1.0 mg L-1. Intermediate deoxygenation treatments (~ 2.25 mg L-1, ~ 4.25 mg L-1) elicited minimal responses in both species, indicating a low oxygen threshold for coral mortality and coral resilience to oxygen concentrations that are lethal for other marine organisms. These findings demonstrate the potential for variability in species-specific hypoxia thresholds, which has important implications for our ability to predict how coral reefs may be affected as ocean deoxygenation intensifies. With deoxygenation emerging as a critical threat to tropical habitats, there is an urgent need to incorporate deoxygenation into coral reef research, management, and action plans to facilitate better stewardship of coral reefs in an era of rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie D. Johnson
- grid.452909.30000 0001 0479 0204Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL USA ,grid.1214.60000 0000 8716 3312Tenenbaum Marine Observatories Network, Smithsonian Institution, Edgewater, MD USA ,grid.56466.370000 0004 0504 7510Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA ,grid.45672.320000 0001 1926 5090Present Address: Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara D. Swaminathan
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Emily N. Nixon
- grid.452909.30000 0001 0479 0204Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL USA
| | - Valerie J. Paul
- grid.452909.30000 0001 0479 0204Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL USA
| | - Andrew H. Altieri
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
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19
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Cunning R, Parker KE, Johnson-Sapp K, Karp RF, Wen AD, Williamson OM, Bartels E, D'Alessandro M, Gilliam DS, Hanson G, Levy J, Lirman D, Maxwell K, Million WC, Moulding AL, Moura A, Muller EM, Nedimyer K, Reckenbeil B, van Hooidonk R, Dahlgren C, Kenkel C, Parkinson JE, Baker AC. Census of heat tolerance among Florida's threatened staghorn corals finds resilient individuals throughout existing nursery populations. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211613. [PMID: 34666521 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid loss of reef-building corals owing to ocean warming is driving the development of interventions such as coral propagation and restoration, selective breeding and assisted gene flow. Many of these interventions target naturally heat-tolerant individuals to boost climate resilience, but the challenges of quickly and reliably quantifying heat tolerance and identifying thermotolerant individuals have hampered implementation. Here, we used coral bleaching automated stress systems to perform rapid, standardized heat tolerance assays on 229 colonies of Acropora cervicornis across six coral nurseries spanning Florida's Coral Reef, USA. Analysis of heat stress dose-response curves for each colony revealed a broad range in thermal tolerance among individuals (approx. 2.5°C range in Fv/Fm ED50), with highly reproducible rankings across independent tests (r = 0.76). Most phenotypic variation occurred within nurseries rather than between them, pointing to a potentially dominant role of fixed genetic effects in setting thermal tolerance and widespread distribution of tolerant individuals throughout the population. The identification of tolerant individuals provides immediately actionable information to optimize nursery and restoration programmes for Florida's threatened staghorn corals. This work further provides a blueprint for future efforts to identify and source thermally tolerant corals for conservation interventions worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Cunning
- Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Katherine E Parker
- Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kelsey Johnson-Sapp
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Richard F Karp
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alexandra D Wen
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Olivia M Williamson
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Erich Bartels
- Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, Mote Marine Laboratory, Summerland Key, FL, USA
| | | | - David S Gilliam
- Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, USA
| | - Grace Hanson
- Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, USA
| | - Jessica Levy
- Coral Restoration Foundation, Key Largo, FL, USA
| | - Diego Lirman
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kerry Maxwell
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Marathon, FL, USA
| | - Wyatt C Million
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alison L Moulding
- Protected Resources Division, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office, St Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Amelia Moura
- Coral Restoration Foundation, Key Largo, FL, USA
| | - Erinn M Muller
- Coral Health and Disease Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Ruben van Hooidonk
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division, NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Carly Kenkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John E Parkinson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Andrew C Baker
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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20
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Muller EM, Dungan AM, Million WC, Eaton KR, Petrik C, Bartels E, Hall ER, Kenkel CD. Heritable variation and lack of tradeoffs suggest adaptive capacity in Acropora cervicornis despite negative synergism under climate change scenarios. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210923. [PMID: 34641725 PMCID: PMC8511747 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of multi-stressor interactions and the potential for tradeoffs among tolerance traits is essential for developing intervention strategies for the conservation and restoration of reef ecosystems in a changing climate. Thermal extremes and acidification are two major co-occurring stresses predicted to limit the recovery of vital Caribbean reef-building corals. Here, we conducted an aquarium-based experiment to quantify the effects of increased water temperatures and pCO2 individually and in concert on 12 genotypes of the endangered branching coral Acropora cervicornis, currently being reared and outplanted for large-scale coral restoration. Quantification of 12 host, symbiont and holobiont traits throughout the two-month-long experiment showed several synergistic negative effects, where the combined stress treatment often caused a greater reduction in physiological function than the individual stressors alone. However, we found significant genetic variation for most traits and positive trait correlations among treatments indicating an apparent lack of tradeoffs, suggesting that adaptive evolution will not be constrained. Our results suggest that it may be possible to incorporate climate-resistant coral genotypes into restoration and selective breeding programmes, potentially accelerating adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashley M. Dungan
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wyatt C. Million
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Chelsea Petrik
- Mote Marine Laboratory, International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, USA
| | - Erich Bartels
- Mote Marine Laboratory, International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, Summerland Key, FL, USA
| | | | - Carly D. Kenkel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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21
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Afiq‐Rosli L, Wainwright BJ, Gajanur AR, Lee AC, Ooi SK, Chou LM, Huang D. Barriers and corridors of gene flow in an urbanized tropical reef system. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2502-2515. [PMID: 34745340 PMCID: PMC8549622 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Information about the distribution of alleles among marine populations is critical for determining patterns of genetic connectivity that are essential in modern conservation planning. To estimate population connectivity in Singapore's urbanized equatorial reef system, we analysed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from two species of reef-building corals with distinct life histories. For Porites sp., a broadcast-spawning coral, we found cryptic lineages that were differentially distributed at inshore and central-offshore sites that could be attributed to contemporary surface current regimes. Near panmixia was observed for Pocillopora acuta with differentiation of colonies at the farthest site from mainland Singapore, a possible consequence of the brooding nature and relatively long pelagic larval duration of the species. Furthermore, analysis of recent gene flow showed that 60-80% of colonies in each population were nonmigrants, underscoring self-recruitment as an important demographic process in this reef system. Apart from helping to enhance the management of Singapore's coral reef ecosystems, findings here pave the way for better understanding of the evolution of marine populations in South-East Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutfi Afiq‐Rosli
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Benjamin John Wainwright
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Yale‐NUS CollegeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Anya Roopa Gajanur
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Ai Chin Lee
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Seng Keat Ooi
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Loke Ming Chou
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Centre for Nature‐based Climate SolutionsNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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Henry JA, Khattri RB, Guingab-Cagmat J, Merritt ME, Garrett TJ, Patterson JT, Lohr KE. Intraspecific variation in polar and nonpolar metabolite profiles of a threatened Caribbean coral. Metabolomics 2021; 17:60. [PMID: 34143280 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-021-01808-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research aimed at understanding intraspecific variation among corals could substantially increase understanding of coral biology and improve outcomes of active restoration efforts. Metabolomics is useful for identifying physiological drivers leading to variation among genotypes and has the capacity to improve our selection of candidate corals that express phenotypes beneficial to restoration. OBJECTIVES Our study aims to compare metabolomic profiles among known, unique genotypes of the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis. In doing so, we seek information related to the physiological characteristics driving variation among genotypes, which could aid in identifying genets with desirable traits for restoration. METHODS We applied proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify and compare metabolomic profiles for seven unique genotypes of A. cervicornis that previously exhibited phenotypic variation in a common garden coral nursery. RESULTS Significant variation in polar and nonpolar metabolite profiles was found among A. cervicornis genotypes. Despite difficulties identifying all significant metabolites driving separation among genotypes, our data support previous findings and further suggest metabolomic profiles differ among various genotypes of the threatened species A. cervicornis. CONCLUSION The implementation of metabolomic analyses allowed identification of several key metabolites driving separation among genotypes and expanded our understanding of the A. cervicornis metabolome. Although our research is specific to A. cervicornis, these findings have broad relevance for coral biology and active restoration. Furthermore, this study provides specific information on the understudied A. cervicornis metabolome and further confirmation that differences in metabolome structure could drive phenotypic variation among genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Henry
- Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida/IFAS, 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA.
| | - Ram B Khattri
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Joy Guingab-Cagmat
- Southeast Center for Integrated Metabolomics, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Matthew E Merritt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Timothy J Garrett
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Joshua T Patterson
- Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida/IFAS, 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA
- The Florida Aquarium, Center for Conservation, 529 Estuary Shore Ln, Apollo Beach, FL, 33572-2205, USA
| | - Kathryn E Lohr
- Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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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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Abstract
Climate-driven reef decline has prompted the development of next-generation coral conservation strategies, many of which hinge on the movement of adaptive variation across genetic and environmental gradients. This process is limited by our understanding of how genetic and genotypic drivers of coral bleaching will manifest in different environmental conditions. We reciprocally transplanted 10 genotypes of Acropora cervicornis across eight sites along a 60 km span of the Florida Reef Tract and documented significant genotype × environment interactions in bleaching response during the severe 2015 bleaching event. Performance relative to site mean was significantly different between genotypes and can be mostly explained by ensemble models of correlations with genetic markers. The high explanatory power was driven by significant enrichment of loci associated DNA repair, cell signalling and apoptosis. No genotypes performed above (or below) bleaching average at all sites, so genomic predictors can provide practitioners with 'confidence intervals' about the chance of success in novel habitats. These data have important implications for assisted gene flow and managed relocation, and their integration with traditional active restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crawford Drury
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Diego Lirman
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
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25
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Putnam HM. Avenues of reef-building coral acclimatization in response to rapid environmental change. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:224/Suppl_1/jeb239319. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.239319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The swiftly changing climate presents a challenge to organismal fitness by creating a mismatch between the current environment and phenotypes adapted to historic conditions. Acclimatory mechanisms may be especially crucial for sessile benthic marine taxa, such as reef-building corals, where climate change factors including ocean acidification and increasing temperature elicit strong negative physiological responses such as bleaching, disease and mortality. Here, within the context of multiple stressors threatening marine organisms, I describe the wealth of metaorganism response mechanisms to rapid ocean change and the ontogenetic shifts in organism interactions with the environment that can generate plasticity. I then highlight the need to consider the interactions of rapid and evolutionary responses in an adaptive (epi)genetic continuum. Building on the definitions of these mechanisms and continuum, I also present how the interplay of the microbiome, epigenetics and parental effects creates additional avenues for rapid acclimatization. To consider under what conditions epigenetic inheritance has a more substantial role, I propose investigation into the offset of timing of gametogenesis leading to different environmental integration times between eggs and sperm and the consequences of this for gamete epigenetic compatibility. Collectively, non-genetic, yet heritable phenotypic plasticity will have significant ecological and evolutionary implications for sessile marine organism persistence under rapid climate change. As such, reef-building corals present ideal and time-sensitive models for further development of our understanding of adaptive feedback loops in a multi-player (epi)genetic continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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26
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Slagel S, Lohr K, O'Neil K, Patterson J. Growth, calcification, and photobiology of the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis in natural versus artificial light. Zoo Biol 2021; 40:201-207. [PMID: 33544909 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Land-based coral culture is of increasing interest for conservation and educational display. Shallow water corals generate most of their energy from photosynthesis, and light is a critical abiotic factor in their husbandry. We compared growth, calcification, and photobiology in the coral Acropora cervicornis between natural and artificial (light-emitting diode; LED) light to better understand the impact of light source on coral performance. One tank of a greenhouse recirculating system at The Florida Aquarium's Center for Conservation was used to culture replicate coral colonies. Half of the tank and corals were covered to block sunlight and illuminated with a commercial reef aquarium LED fixture, while the other half was exposed to natural sunlight. Treatments were matched in terms of maximum photosynthetically active radiation and spectral measurements characterized both light regimes. Coral growth and calcification were tracked over a period of 19 weeks by repeated measurements of total linear extension (TLE) and buoyant weight. For the first 5 weeks, photosynthetic yield was measured weekly using a pulse-amplitude-modulated fluorometer. Calcification was significantly higher under LED lighting relative to natural light, but TLE did not differ. Photobiology data suggest that corals in both treatments were acclimated to the same light level, but photosynthetic efficiency was ultimately greater in the natural light treatment. More consistent light delivery and different spectral composition under LED treatment conditions may explain the incongruity between calcification and photosynthetic efficiency. This experiment informs husbandry of shallow-water scleractinian corals maintained in both natural sunlight and enclosed structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Slagel
- Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida/IFAS, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Kathryn Lohr
- Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida/IFAS, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Keri O'Neil
- Center for Conservation, The Florida Aquarium, Apollo Beach, Florida, USA
| | - Joshua Patterson
- Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida/IFAS, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Center for Conservation, The Florida Aquarium, Apollo Beach, Florida, USA
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27
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Howlett L, Camp EF, Edmondson J, Henderson N, Suggett DJ. Coral growth, survivorship and return-on-effort within nurseries at high-value sites on the Great Barrier Reef. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244961. [PMID: 33428639 PMCID: PMC7799815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are deteriorating worldwide prompting reef managers and stakeholders to increasingly explore new management tools. Following back-to-back bleaching in 2016/2017, multi-taxa coral nurseries were established in 2018 for the first time on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to aid reef maintenance and restoration at a “high-value” location–Opal Reef–frequented by the tourism industry. Various coral species (n = 11) were propagated within shallow water (ca. 4-7m) platforms installed across two sites characterised by differing environmental exposure–one adjacent to a deep-water channel (Blue Lagoon) and one that was relatively sheltered (RayBan). Growth rates of coral fragments placed onto nurseries were highly variable across taxa but generally higher at Blue Lagoon (2.1–10.8 cm2 month-1 over 12 months) compared to RayBan (0.6–6.6 cm2 month-1 over 9 months). Growth at Blue Lagoon was largely independent of season, except for Acropora tenuis and Acropora hyacinthus, where growth rates were 15–20% higher for December 2018-July 2019 (“warm season”) compared to August-December 2018 (“cool season”). Survivorship across all 2,536 nursery fragments was ca. 80–100%, with some species exhibiting higher survivorship at Blue Lagoon (Acropora loripes, Porites cylindrica) and others at RayBan (A. hyacinthus, Montipora hispida). Parallel measurements of growth and survivorship were used to determine relative return-on-effort (RRE) scores as an integrated metric of “success” accounting for life history trade-offs, complementing the mutually exclusive assessment of growth or survivorship. RRE scores within sites (across species) were largely driven by growth, whereas RRE scores between sites were largely driven by survivorship. The initial nursery phase of coral propagation therefore appears useful to supplement coral material naturally available for stewardship of frequently visited Great Barrier Reef tourism (high-value) sites, but further assessment is needed to evaluate how well the growth rates and survival for nursery grown corals translate once material is outplanted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna Howlett
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
- Wavelength Reef Cruises, Port Douglas, QLD, Australia
| | - Emma F. Camp
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Nicola Henderson
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - David J. Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
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28
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Kuffner IB, Stathakopoulos A, Toth LT, Bartlett LA. Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened elkhorn coral Acropora palmata to aid regional recovery. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recovery of the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata is critical to reversing coral reef ecosystem collapse in the western Atlantic, but the species is severely threatened. To gauge potential for the species’ restoration in Florida, USA, we conducted an assisted migration experiment where 50 coral fragments of 5 nursery-raised genetic strains (genets) from the upper Florida Keys were moved to 5 sites across 350 km of the offshore reef. Additionally, 4 fragments from the 1 remaining colony of A. palmata in Dry Tortugas National Park (DRTO) were added to the 2 DRTO experimental sites to test for local adaptation. To measure coral performance, we tracked coral survival, calcification, growth, and condition from May 2018 to October 2019. All 24 corals relocated to the DRTO sites survived and calcified ~85% faster than the fewer surviving corals transplanted to the 2 upper Keys sites. While coral survival across the entire experiment did not depend on genet, there was a weak but statistically significant genetic effect on calcification rate among the corals relocated to DRTO. The DRTO native genet was among the fastest growing genets, but it was not the fastest, suggesting a lack of local adaptation at this scale. Our results indicate that DRTO, a remote reef system inhabited by the species during the Holocene and located at the nexus of major ocean currents, may be a prime location for reestablishing A. palmata. Assisted migration of A. palmata to DRTO could restore a sexually reproducing population in <10 yr, thereby promoting the species’ regional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- IB Kuffner
- US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA
| | - A Stathakopoulos
- US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA
| | - LT Toth
- US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA
| | - LA Bartlett
- Contracted by Cherokee Nation Technologies to US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA
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29
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A breakthrough in understanding the molecular basis of coral heat tolerance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:28546-28548. [PMID: 33168724 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020201117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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30
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Woesik R, Banister RB, Bartels E, Gilliam DS, Goergen EA, Lustic C, Maxwell K, Moura A, Muller EM, Schopmeyer S, Winters RS, Lirman D. Differential survival of nursery‐reared
Acropora cervicornis
outplants along the Florida reef tract. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Woesik
- Institute for Global Ecology Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne FL 32901 U.S.A
| | - Raymond B. Banister
- Institute for Global Ecology Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne FL 32901 U.S.A
| | - Erich Bartels
- Center for Tropical Research, Mote Marine Laboratory Summerland Key FL 33042 U.S.A
| | - David S. Gilliam
- Oceanographic Center Nova Southeastern University 8000 North Ocean Drive Dania Beach FL 33004 U.S.A
| | | | | | - Kerry Maxwell
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 2796 Overseas Highway, Suite 119 Marathon FL 33050 U.S.A
| | - Amelia Moura
- Coral Restoration Foundation Tavernier FL 33070 U.S.A
| | - Erinn M. Muller
- Center for Tropical Research, Mote Marine Laboratory Summerland Key FL 33042 U.S.A
| | - Stephanie Schopmeyer
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission St Petersburg FL 33701 U.S.A
| | - R. S. Winters
- Coral Restoration Foundation Tavernier FL 33070 U.S.A
| | - Diego Lirman
- Marine Biology and Ecology Department, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami Miami FL 33149 U.S.A
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31
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Klinges G, Maher RL, Vega Thurber RL, Muller EM. Parasitic 'Candidatus Aquarickettsia rohweri' is a marker of disease susceptibility in Acropora cervicornis but is lost during thermal stress. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:5341-5355. [PMID: 32975356 PMCID: PMC7820986 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Holobiont phenotype results from a combination of host and symbiont genotypes as well as from prevailing environmental conditions that alter the relationships among symbiotic members. Corals exemplify this concept, where shifts in the algal symbiont community can lead to some corals becoming more or less thermally tolerant. Despite linkage between coral bleaching and disease, the roles of symbiotic bacteria in holobiont resistance and susceptibility to disease remains less well understood. This study thus characterizes the microbiome of disease-resistant and -susceptible Acropora cervicornis coral genotypes (hereafter referred to simply as 'genotypes') before and after high temperature-mediated bleaching. We found that the intracellular bacterial parasite 'Ca. Aquarickettsia rohweri' was strikingly abundant in disease-susceptible genotypes. Disease-resistant genotypes, however, had notably more diverse and even communities, with correspondingly low abundances of 'Ca. Aquarickettsia'. Bleaching caused a dramatic reduction of 'Ca. Aquarickettsia' within disease-susceptible corals and led to an increase in bacterial community dispersion, as well as the proliferation of opportunists. Our data support the hypothesis that 'Ca. Aquarickettsia' species increase coral disease risk through two mechanisms: (i) the creation of host nutritional deficiencies leading to a compromised host-symbiont state and (ii) the opening of niche space for potential pathogens during thermal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Klinges
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, 226 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Rebecca L Maher
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, 226 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Rebecca L Vega Thurber
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, 226 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Erinn M Muller
- Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA
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32
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Louis YD, Bhagooli R, Seveso D, Maggioni D, Galli P, Vai M, Dyall SD. Local acclimatisation-driven differential gene and protein expression patterns of Hsp70 in Acropora muricata: Implications for coral tolerance to bleaching. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:4382-4394. [PMID: 32967057 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Corals show spatial acclimatisation to local environment conditions. However, the various cellular mechanisms involved in local acclimatisation and variable bleaching patterns in corals remain to be thoroughly understood. In this study, the modulation of a protein implicated in cellular heat stress tolerance, the heat shock protein 70, was compared at both gene (hsp70) and protein (Hsp70) expression level in bleaching tolerant near-coast Acropora muricata colonies and bleaching susceptible reef colonies, in the lagoon of Belle Mare (Mauritius). The relative Hsp70 levels varied significantly between colonies from the two different locations, colonies having different health conditions and the year of collection. Before the bleaching event of 2016, near-coast colonies had higher basal levels of both Hsp70 gene and protein compared to reef colonies. During the bleaching event, the near-coast colonies did not bleach and had significantly higher relative levels of both Hsp70 gene and protein compared to bleached reef colonies. No significant genetic differentiation between the two studied coral populations was observed and all the colonies analysed were associated with Symbiodiniaceae of the genus Symbiodinium (Clade A) irrespective of location and sampling period. These findings provide further evidence of the involvement of Hsp70 in conferring bleaching tolerance to corals. Moreover, the consistent expression differences of Hsp70 gene and protein between the near-coast and reef coral populations in a natural setting indicate that the modulation of this Hsp is involved in local acclimatisation of corals to their environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan Didier Louis
- Department of Biosciences and Ocean Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Republic of Mauritius
| | - Ranjeet Bhagooli
- Department of Biosciences and Ocean Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Republic of Mauritius.,The Biodiversity and Environmental Institute, Réduit, Republic of Mauritius.,Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), University Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.,Pole of Research Excellence in Sustainable Marine Biodiversity, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius
| | - Davide Seveso
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Centre), Faafu Atoll, Magoodhoo, Faafu, Republic of Maldives
| | - Davide Maggioni
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Centre), Faafu Atoll, Magoodhoo, Faafu, Republic of Maldives
| | - Paolo Galli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,MaRHE Center (Marine Research and High Education Centre), Faafu Atoll, Magoodhoo, Faafu, Republic of Maldives
| | - Marina Vai
- Department of Biotechnologies and Biosciences, University of Milano - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabrina Devi Dyall
- Department of Biosciences and Ocean Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Republic of Mauritius.,Pole of Research Excellence in Molecular Life Sciences, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Republic of Mauritius
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33
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Acclimatization Drives Differences in Reef-Building Coral Calcification Rates. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12090347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are susceptible to climate change, anthropogenic influence, and environmental stressors. However, corals in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi have repeatedly shown resilience and acclimatization to anthropogenically-induced rising temperatures and increased frequencies of bleaching events. Variations in coral and algae cover at two sites—just 600 m apart—at Malaukaʻa fringing reef suggest genetic or environmental differences in coral resilience between sites. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted to determine if calcification (linear extension and dry skeletal weight) for dominant reef-building species, Montipora capitata and Porites compressa, varied between the two sites and whether or not parent colony or environmental factors were responsible for the differences. Despite the two sites representing distinct environmental conditions with significant differences between temperature, salinity, and aragonite saturation, M. capitata growth rates remained the same between sites and treatments. However, dry skeletal weight increases in P. compressa were significantly different between sites, but not across treatments, with linear mixed effects model results suggesting heterogeneity driven by environmental differences between sites and the parent colonies. These results provide evidence of resilience and acclimatization for M. capitata and P. compressa. Variability of resilience may be driven by local adaptations at a small, reef-level scale for P. compressa in Kāneʻohe Bay.
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Gene Expression and Photophysiological Changes in Pocillopora acuta Coral Holobiont Following Heat Stress and Recovery. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8081227. [PMID: 32806647 PMCID: PMC7463449 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of corals to withstand changes in their surroundings is a critical survival mechanism for coping with environmental stress. While many studies have examined responses of the coral holobiont to stressful conditions, its capacity to reverse responses and recover when the stressor is removed is not well-understood. In this study, we investigated among-colony responses of Pocillopora acuta from two sites with differing distance to the mainland (Kusu (closer to the mainland) and Raffles Lighthouse (further from the mainland)) to heat stress through differential expression analysis of target genes and quantification of photophysiological metrics. We then examined how these attributes were regulated after the stressor was removed to assess the recovery potential of P. acuta. The fragments that were subjected to heat stress (2 °C above ambient levels) generally exhibited significant reduction in their endosymbiont densities, but the extent of recovery following stress removal varied depending on natal site and colony. There were minimal changes in chl a concentration and maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm, the proportion of variable fluorescence (Fv) to maximum fluorescence (Fm)) in heat-stressed corals, suggesting that the algal endosymbionts’ Photosystem II was not severely compromised. Significant changes in gene expression levels of selected genes of interest (GOI) were observed following heat exposure and stress removal among sites and colonies, including Actin, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type IV (Camk4), kinesin-like protein (KIF9), and small heat shock protein 16.1 (Hsp16.1). The most responsive GOIs were Actin, a major component of the cytoskeleton, and the adaptive immune-related Camk4 which both showed significant reduction following heat exposure and subsequent upregulation during the recovery phase. Our findings clearly demonstrate specific responses of P. acuta in both photophysiological attributes and gene expression levels, suggesting differential capacity of P. acuta corals to tolerate heat stress depending on the colony, so that certain colonies may be more resilient than others.
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35
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Edmunds PJ, Putnam HM. Science-based approach to using growth rate to assess coral performance and restoration outcomes. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200227. [PMID: 32673540 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
One response to the coral reef crisis has been human intervention to enhance selection on the fittest corals through cultivation. This requires genotypes to be identified for intervention, with a primary basis for this choice being growth: corals that quickly grow on contemporary reefs might be future winners. To test for temporal stability of growth as a predictor of future performance, genotypes of the coral Porites spp. were grown in common gardens in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Growth was measured every two to four months throughout 2018, and each period was used as a predictor of growth over the subsequent period. Area-normalized growth explained less than 29% of the variance in subsequent growth, but for biomass-normalized growth this increased to 45-60%, and was highest when summer growth was used to predict autumn growth. The capacity of initial growth to predict future performance is dependent on the units of measurement and the time of year in which it is measured. The final choice of traits to quantify performance must be informed through consideration of the species and the normalization that best capture the information inherent in the biological processes mediating variation in traits values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
| | - Hollie M Putnam
- Department of Biological Science, University of Rhode Island, 120 Flagg Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
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Differential disturbance effects and phenotypic plasticity among outplanted corals at patch and fore reef sites. J Nat Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Calle-Triviño J, Rivera-Madrid R, León-Pech MG, Cortés-Useche C, Sellares-Blasco RI, Aguilar-Espinosa M, Arias-González JE. Assessing and genotyping threatened staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis nurseries during restoration in southeast Dominican Republic. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8863. [PMID: 32337099 PMCID: PMC7169967 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Acropora cervicornis is a structurally and functionally important Caribbean coral species. Since the 1980s, it has suffered drastic population losses with no signs of recovery and has been classified as a critically endangered species. Its rapid growth rate makes it an excellent candidate for coral restoration programs. In 2011, the Fundación Dominicana de Estudios Marinos (Dominican Marine Studies Foundation, FUNDEMAR) began an A. cervicornis restoration program in Bayahibe, southeast Dominican Republic. In this study, we present the methodology and results of this program from its conception through 2017, a preliminary analysis of the strong 2016 and 2017 cyclonic seasons in the greater Caribbean, and a genetic characterization of the “main nursery”. The mean survival of the fragments over 12 months was 87.45 ± 4.85% and the mean productivity was 4.01 ± 1.88 cm year−1 for the eight nurseries. The mean survival of six outplanted sites over 12 months was 71.55 ± 10.4%, and the mean productivity was 3.03 ± 1.30 cm year−1. The most common cause of mortality during the first 12 months, in both nurseries and outplanted sites, was predation by the fireworm, Hermodice carunculata. We identified 32 multilocus genotypes from 145 total analyzed individuals. The results and techniques described here will aid in the development of current and future nursery and outplanted site restoration programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Calle-Triviño
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Unidad Mérida, Yucatán, México.,Wave of Change Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Renata Rivera-Madrid
- Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | | | - Camilo Cortés-Useche
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Unidad Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | | | - Margarita Aguilar-Espinosa
- Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Jesús Ernesto Arias-González
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., Unidad Mérida, Yucatán, México
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Morgans CA, Hung JY, Bourne DG, Quigley KM. Symbiodiniaceae probiotics for use in bleaching recovery. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carys A. Morgans
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook University Townsville Queensland 4814 Australia
| | - Julia Y. Hung
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook University Townsville Queensland 4814 Australia
| | - David G. Bourne
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook University Townsville Queensland 4814 Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville Queensland 4816 Australia
| | - Kate M. Quigley
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook University Townsville Queensland 4814 Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville Queensland 4816 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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40
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Drury C. Resilience in reef-building corals: The ecological and evolutionary importance of the host response to thermal stress. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:448-465. [PMID: 31845413 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are under extreme threat due to a number of stressors, but temperature increases due to changing climate are the most severe. Rising ocean temperatures coupled with local extremes lead to extensive bleaching, where the coral-algal symbiosis breaks down and corals may die, compromising the structure and function of reefs. Although the symbiotic nature of the coral colony has historically been a focus of research on coral resilience, the host itself is a foundational component in the response to thermal stress. Fixed effects in the coral host set trait baselines through evolutionary processes, acting on many loci of small effect to create mosaics of thermal tolerance across latitudes and individual coral reefs. These genomic differences can be strongly heritable, producing wide variation among clones of different genotypes or families of a specific larval cross. Phenotypic plasticity is overlaid on these baselines and a growing body of knowledge demonstrates the potential for acclimatization of reef-building corals through a variety of mechanisms that promote resilience and stress tolerance. The long-term persistence of coral reefs will require many of these mechanisms to adjust to warmer temperatures within a generation, bridging the gap to reproductive events that allow recombination of standing diversity and adaptive change. Business-as-usual climate scenarios will probably lead to the loss of some coral populations or species in the future, so the interaction between intragenerational effects and evolutionary pressure is critical for the survival of reefs.
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41
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Baums IB, Baker AC, Davies SW, Grottoli AG, Kenkel CD, Kitchen SA, Kuffner IB, LaJeunesse TC, Matz MV, Miller MW, Parkinson JE, Shantz AA. Considerations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01978. [PMID: 31332879 PMCID: PMC6916196 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Active coral restoration typically involves two interventions: crossing gametes to facilitate sexual larval propagation; and fragmenting, growing, and outplanting adult colonies to enhance asexual propagation. From an evolutionary perspective, the goal of these efforts is to establish self-sustaining, sexually reproducing coral populations that have sufficient genetic and phenotypic variation to adapt to changing environments. Here, we provide concrete guidelines to help restoration practitioners meet this goal for most Caribbean species of interest. To enable the persistence of coral populations exposed to severe selection pressure from many stressors, a mixed provenance strategy is suggested: genetically unique colonies (genets) should be sourced both locally as well as from more distant, environmentally distinct sites. Sourcing three to four genets per reef along environmental gradients should be sufficient to capture a majority of intraspecies genetic diversity. It is best for practitioners to propagate genets with one or more phenotypic traits that are predicted to be valuable in the future, such as low partial mortality, high wound healing rate, high skeletal growth rate, bleaching resilience, infectious disease resilience, and high sexual reproductive output. Some effort should also be reserved for underperforming genets because colonies that grow poorly in nurseries sometimes thrive once returned to the reef and may harbor genetic variants with as yet unrecognized value. Outplants should be clustered in groups of four to six genets to enable successful fertilization upon maturation. Current evidence indicates that translocating genets among distant reefs is unlikely to be problematic from a population genetic perspective but will likely provide substantial adaptive benefits. Similarly, inbreeding depression is not a concern given that current practices only raise first-generation offspring. Thus, proceeding with the proposed management strategies even in the absence of a detailed population genetic analysis of the focal species at sites targeted for restoration is the best course of action. These basic guidelines should help maximize the adaptive potential of reef-building corals facing a rapidly changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliana B. Baums
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvania16803USA
| | - Andrew C. Baker
- Department of Marine Biology and EcologyRosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of MiamiMiamiFlorida33149USA
| | - Sarah W. Davies
- Department of BiologyBoston UniversityBostonMassachusetts02215USA
| | | | - Carly D. Kenkel
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCalifornia90007USA
| | - Sheila A. Kitchen
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvania16803USA
| | - Ilsa B. Kuffner
- U.S. Geological Survey600 4th Street S.St. PetersburgFlorida33701USA
| | - Todd C. LaJeunesse
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvania16803USA
| | - Mikhail V. Matz
- Department of Integrative BiologyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexas78712USA
| | | | - John E. Parkinson
- SECORE InternationalMiamiFlorida33145USA
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of South FloridaTampaFlorida33620USA
| | - Andrew A. Shantz
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvania16803USA
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42
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Damjanovic K, Menéndez P, Blackall LL, Oppen MJH. Mixed‐mode bacterial transmission in the common brooding coral
Pocillopora acuta. Environ Microbiol 2019; 22:397-412. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Damjanovic
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne Parkville Vic 3010 Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3, Townsville, MC 4810 Qld Australia
| | - Patricia Menéndez
- Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3, Townsville, MC 4810 Qld Australia
- Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics Monash University Vic 3800 Australia
| | - Linda L. Blackall
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne Parkville Vic 3010 Australia
| | - Madeleine J. H. Oppen
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne Parkville Vic 3010 Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3, Townsville, MC 4810 Qld Australia
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43
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Parkinson JE, Baker AC, Baums IB, Davies SW, Grottoli AG, Kitchen SA, Matz MV, Miller MW, Shantz AA, Kenkel CD. Molecular tools for coral reef restoration: Beyond biomarker discovery. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John Everett Parkinson
- SECORE International Miami Florida
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of South Florida Tampa Florida
| | - Andrew C. Baker
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of Miami Miami Florida
| | - Iliana B. Baums
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - Sheila A. Kitchen
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania
| | - Mikhail V. Matz
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Texas at Austin Austin Texas
| | | | - Andrew A. Shantz
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of Miami Miami Florida
| | - Carly D. Kenkel
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Southern California Los Angeles California
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Quigley KM, Bay LK, van Oppen MJH. The active spread of adaptive variation for reef resilience. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11122-11135. [PMID: 31641460 PMCID: PMC6802068 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The speed at which species adapt depends partly on the rates of beneficial adaptation generation and how quickly they spread within and among populations. Natural rates of adaptation of corals may not be able to keep pace with climate warming. Several interventions have been proposed to fast-track thermal adaptation, including the intentional translocation of warm-adapted adults or their offspring (assisted gene flow, AGF) and the ex situ crossing of warm-adapted corals with conspecifics from cooler reefs (hybridization or selective breeding) and field deployment of those offspring. The introgression of temperature tolerance loci into the genomic background of cooler-environment corals aims to facilitate adaptation to warming while maintaining fitness under local conditions. Here we use research on selective sweeps and connectivity to understand the spread of adaptive variants as it applies to AGF on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), focusing on the genus Acropora. Using larval biophysical dispersal modeling, we estimate levels of natural connectivity in warm-adapted northern corals. We then model the spread of adaptive variants from single and multiple reefs and assess if the natural and assisted spread of adaptive variants will occur fast enough to prepare receiving central and southern populations given current rates of warming. We also estimate fixation rates and spatial extent of fixation under multiple release scenarios to inform intervention design. Our results suggest that thermal tolerance is unlikely to spread beyond northern reefs to the central and southern GBR without intervention, and if it does, 30+ generations are needed for adaptive gene variants to reach fixation even under multiple release scenarios. We argue that if translocation, breeding, and reseeding risks are managed, AGF using multiple release reefs can be beneficial for the restoration of coral populations. These interventions should be considered in addition to conventional management and accompanied by strong mitigation of CO2 emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M. Quigley
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQldAustralia
| | - Line K. Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQldAustralia
| | - Madeleine J. H. van Oppen
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQldAustralia
- School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVic.Australia
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45
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Chow GSE, Chan YKS, Jain SS, Huang D. Light limitation selects for depth generalists in urbanised reef coral communities. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 147:101-112. [PMID: 31029435 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Depth range is an important species trait for coral reef organisms, yet it remains to be quantified and analysed adequately among tropical coral species. Filling this knowledge gap is crucial as the depth limits of corals are related to important environmental factors such as light and temperature. Furthermore, the health and survivorship of corals may be threatened due to warming-induced sea-level rise, particularly for colonies living at the deeper limits of species depth ranges. Here we collected benthic and environmental data along the reef profile to characterise the depth ranges of coral species, and analysed species diversity and community structure in relation to possible depth-related biophysical parameters on the sediment-stressed reefs of Singapore. The results reveal clear environmental covariations with depth, expectedly with light availability showing the most marked decline as depth increases. Live coral cover, species richness and diversity are associated positively and significantly with light, which also structures coral communities along the reef profile more strongly than temperature or sediment levels. Relatedly, we detect species-specific depth distributions with two main strategies observed among coral species: shallow specialists and depth generalists. We suggest that corals in Singapore are unlikely to be impacted by light limitation specifically as sea level rises due to the wider depth range of the deeper species. Our data will inform conservation efforts especially in the selection of sites and depths for coral transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwendolyn S E Chow
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Y K Samuel Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | | | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117558, Singapore; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 119227, Singapore.
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Metabolomic profiles differ among unique genotypes of a threatened Caribbean coral. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6067. [PMID: 30988456 PMCID: PMC6465396 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42434-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Global threats to reefs require urgent efforts to resolve coral attributes that affect survival in a changing environment. Genetically different individuals of the same coral species are known to exhibit different responses to the same environmental conditions. New information on coral physiology, particularly as it relates to genotype, could aid in unraveling mechanisms that facilitate coral survival in the face of stressors. Metabolomic profiling detects a large subset of metabolites in an organism, and, when linked to metabolic pathways, can provide a snapshot of an organism’s physiological state. Identifying metabolites associated with desirable, genotype-specific traits could improve coral selection for restoration and other interventions. A key step toward this goal is determining whether intraspecific variation in coral metabolite profiles can be detected for species of interest, however little information exists to illustrate such differences. To address this gap, we applied untargeted 1H-NMR and LC-MS metabolomic profiling to three genotypes of the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis. Both methods revealed distinct metabolite “fingerprints” for each genotype examined. A number of metabolites driving separation among genotypes were identified or putatively annotated. Pathway analysis suggested differences in protein synthesis among genotypes. For the first time, these data illustrate intraspecific variation in metabolomic profiles for corals in a common garden. Our results contribute to the growing body of work on coral metabolomics and suggest future work could identify specific links between phenotype and metabolite profile in corals.
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Drury C, Greer JB, Baums I, Gintert B, Lirman D. Clonal diversity impacts coral cover in Acropora cervicornisthickets: Potential relationships between density, growth, and polymorphisms. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4518-4531. [PMID: 31031924 PMCID: PMC6476746 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As coral reefs decline, cryptic sources of resistance and resilience to stress may be increasingly important for the persistence of these communities. Among these sources, inter- and intraspecific diversity remain understudied on coral reefs but extensively impact a variety of traits in other ecosystems. We use a combination of field and sequencing data at two sites in Florida and two in the Dominican Republic to examine clonal diversity and genetic differentiation of high- and low-density aggregations of the threatened coral Acropora cervicornisin the Caribbean. We find that high-density aggregations called thickets are composed of up to 30 genotypes at a single site, but 47% of genotypes are also found as isolated, discrete colonies outside these aggregations. Genet-ramet ratios are comparable for thickets (0.636) and isolated colonies after rarefaction (0.569), suggesting the composition of each aggregation is not substantially different and highlighting interactions between colonies as a potential influence on structure. There are no differences in growth rate, but a significant positive correlation between genotypic diversity and coral cover, which may be due to the influence of interactions between colonies on survivorship or fragment retention during asexual reproduction. Many polymorphisms distinguish isolated colonies from thickets despite the shared genotypes found here, including putative nonsynonymous mutations that change amino acid sequence in 25 loci. These results highlight intraspecific diversity as a density-dependent factor that may impact traits important for the structure and function of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crawford Drury
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of MiamiMiamiFlorida
| | - Justin B. Greer
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of MiamiMiamiFlorida
| | - Iliana Baums
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvania
| | - Brooke Gintert
- Department of Marine Geoscience, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of MiamiMiamiFlorida
| | - Diego Lirman
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric ScienceUniversity of MiamiMiamiFlorida
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48
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Muller EM, Bartels E, Baums IB. Bleaching causes loss of disease resistance within the threatened coral species Acropora cervicornis. eLife 2018; 7:35066. [PMID: 30203745 PMCID: PMC6133546 DOI: 10.7554/elife.35066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the adaptive potential of foundation species, such as reef-building corals, is urgent as the oceans warm and coral populations decline. Theory predicts that corals may adapt to climate change via selection on standing genetic variation. Yet, corals face not only rising temperatures but also novel diseases. We studied the interaction between two major stressors affecting colonies of the threatened coral, Acropora cervicornis: white-band disease and high water temperature. We determined that 27% of A. cervicornis were disease resistant prior to a thermal anomaly. However, disease resistance was largely lost during a bleaching event because of more compromised coral hosts or increased pathogenic dose/virulence. There was no tradeoff between disease resistance and temperature tolerance; disease susceptibility was independent of Symbiodinium strain. The present study shows that susceptibility to temperature stress creates an increased risk in disease-associated mortality, and only rare genets may maintain or gain infectious disease resistance under high temperature. We conclude that A. cervicornis populations in the lower Florida Keys harbor few existing genotypes that are resistant to both warming and disease. The staghorn coral was once prevalent throughout the Florida Reef Tract. However, the last few decades have seen a substantial reduction in the coral population because of disease outbreaks and increasing ocean temperatures. The staghorn coral shows no evidence of natural recovery, and so has been the focus of restoration efforts throughout much of the Florida region. Why put the time and effort into growing corals that are unlikely to survive within environmental conditions that continue to deteriorate? One reason is that the genetic make-up – the genotype – of some corals makes them more resilient to certain threats. However, there could be tradeoffs associated with these resilient traits. For example, a coral may be able to tolerate heat, but may easily succumb to disease. Previous studies have identified some staghorn coral genotypes that are resistant to an infection called white-band disease. The influence of high water temperatures on the ability of the coral to resist this disease was not known. There also remained the possibility that more varieties of coral might show similar disease resistance. To investigate Muller et al. conducted two experiments exposing staghorn coral genotypes to white-band diseased tissue before and during a coral bleaching event. Approximately 25% of the population of staghorn tested was resistant to white-band disease before the bleaching event. When the corals were exposed to white-band disease during bleaching, twice as much of the coral died. Two out of the 15, or 13%, of the coral genotypes tested were resistant to the disease even while bleached. Additionally, the level of bleaching within the coral genotypes was not related to how easily they developed white-band disease, suggesting that there are no direct tradeoffs between heat tolerance and disease resistance. These results suggest that there are very hardy corals, created by nature, already in existence. Incorporating these traits thoughtfully into coral restoration plans may increase the likelihood of population-based recovery. The Florida Reef Tract is estimated to be worth over six billion dollars to the state economy, providing over 70,000 jobs and attracting millions of tourists into Florida each year. However, much of these ecosystem services will be lost if living coral is not restored within the reef tract. The results presented by Muller et al. emphasize the need for maintaining high genetic diversity while increasing resiliency when restoring coral. They also emphasize that disease resistant corals, even when bleached, already exist and may be an integral part of the recovery of Florida’s reef tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erinn M Muller
- Coral Health and Disease Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, United States
| | - Erich Bartels
- Coral Reef Monitoring and Assessment Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida, United States
| | - Iliana B Baums
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, United States
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Goldsmith DB, Kellogg CA, Morrison CL, Gray MA, Stone RP, Waller RG, Brooke SD, Ross SW. Comparison of microbiomes of cold-water corals Primnoa pacifica and Primnoa resedaeformis, with possible link between microbiome composition and host genotype. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12383. [PMID: 30120375 PMCID: PMC6098105 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30901-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cold-water corals provide critical habitats for a multitude of marine species, but are understudied relative to tropical corals. Primnoa pacifica is a cold-water coral prevalent throughout Alaskan waters, while another species in the genus, Primnoa resedaeformis, is widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean. This study examined the V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene after amplifying and pyrosequencing bacterial DNA from samples of these species. Key differences between the two species' microbiomes included a robust presence of bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiales order in most of the P. pacifica samples, whereas no more than 2% of any microbial community from P. resedaeformis comprised these bacteria. Microbiomes of P. resedaeformis exhibited higher diversity than those of P. pacifica, and the two species largely clustered separately in a principal coordinate analysis. Comparison of P. resedaeformis microbiomes from samples collected in two submarine canyons revealed a significant difference between locations. This finding mirrored significant genetic differences among the P. resedaeformis from the two canyons based upon population genetic analysis of microsatellite loci. This study presents the first report of microbiomes associated with these two coral species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn B Goldsmith
- St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America
| | - Christina A Kellogg
- St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America.
| | - Cheryl L Morrison
- Leetown Science Center, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, United States of America
| | - Michael A Gray
- St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL, United States of America
| | - Robert P Stone
- Auke Bay Laboratories, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, 17109, Point Lena Loop Road, Juneau, AK, United States of America
| | - Rhian G Waller
- Darling Marine Center, University of Maine, Walpole, ME, United States of America
| | - Sandra D Brooke
- Coastal and Marine Laboratory, Florida State University, St. Teresa, FL, United States of America
| | - Steve W Ross
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States of America
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Parkinson JE, Bartels E, Devlin‐Durante MK, Lustic C, Nedimyer K, Schopmeyer S, Lirman D, LaJeunesse TC, Baums IB. Extensive transcriptional variation poses a challenge to thermal stress biomarker development for endangered corals. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1103-1119. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John Everett Parkinson
- Department of Biology Pennsylvania State University State College PA USA
- Department of Integrative Biology Oregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Erich Bartels
- Center for Coral Reef Research Mote Marine Laboratory Summerland Key FL USA
| | | | - Caitlin Lustic
- The Nature Conservancy Florida Keys Office Summerland Key FL USA
| | | | - Stephanie Schopmeyer
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami Miami FL USA
| | - Diego Lirman
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami Miami FL USA
| | - Todd C. LaJeunesse
- Department of Biology Pennsylvania State University State College PA USA
| | - Iliana B. Baums
- Department of Biology Pennsylvania State University State College PA USA
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