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Chen T, Li S, Zhao J, Feng Y. Uranium-thorium dating of coral mortality and community shift in a highly disturbed inshore reef (Weizhou Island, northern South China Sea). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 752:141866. [PMID: 32889282 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Inshore coral habitats are at high risk of loss due to a combination of climate warming and regional-scale human impacts. As a result, they have undergone significant declines. Direct evidence of acute and chronic disturbance on most inshore coral assemblages is limited. Long-term, periodical surveys and historical baseline data essential for effective management are lacking. Using high-precision uranium-thorium (UTh) dating, we reconstruct a ~100-year-long history of extensive coral loss, changes in coral community structure, and a shifting baseline. The data were collected at Weizhou Island, northern South China Sea (SCS), which has highly disturbed inshore coral habitats that are typical globally. According to our UTh dates, major coral mortalities around Weizhou Island have occurred since the 1950s, with increasing frequency and severity since the 1980s. The extensive loss of branching Acropora and collapse of coral communities with peaks around 1960, 1984, and 1998 are accompanied by a shift toward low coral cover and noncoral-dominated assemblages. Prior to this collapse, the local coral community structure sustained remarkable long-term stability over millennia. The timing of the Acropora loss and massive coral mortalities coincides with multiple acute and chronic, natural and anthropogenic disturbance events. We suggest that priority should be given to directly addressing the causes of degradation and effectively controlling chronic disturbances before attempting to restore reef ecosystems. This is probably the only way to solve the "wicked problem" of sustaining the key functions and ecosystem services of inshore coral habitats such as those of Weizhou Island, northern SCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianran Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 511458, China.
| | - Shu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China.
| | - Jianxin Zhao
- Radiogenic Isotope Facility, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Yuexing Feng
- Radiogenic Isotope Facility, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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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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Coral Gardens Reef, Belize: A refugium in the face of Caribbean-wide Acropora spp. coral decline. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239267. [PMID: 32997690 PMCID: PMC7526931 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Caribbean Acropora spp. corals have undergone a decline in cover since the second half of the twentieth century. Loss of these architecturally complex and fast-growing corals has resulted in significant, cascading changes to the character, diversity, and available eco-spaces of Caribbean reefs. Few thriving Acropora spp. populations exist today in the Caribbean and western North Atlantic seas, and our limited ability to access data from reefs assessed via long-term monitoring efforts means that reef scientists are challenged to determine resilience and longevity of existing Acropora spp. reefs. Here we used multiple dating methods to measure reef longevity and determine whether Coral Gardens Reef, Belize, is a refuge for Acropora cervicornis against the backdrop of wider Caribbean decline. We used a new genetic-aging technique to identify sample sites, and radiocarbon and high-precision uranium-thorium (U-Th) dating techniques to test whether one of the largest populations of extant A. cervicornis in the western Caribbean is newly established after the 1980s, or represents a longer-lived, stable population. We did so with respect for ethical sampling of a threatened species. Our data show corals ranging in age from 1910 (14C) or 1915 (230Th) to at least November 2019. While we cannot exclude the possibility of short gaps in the residence of A. cervicornis earlier in the record, the data show consistent and sustained living coral throughout the 1980s and up to at least 2019. We suggest that Coral Gardens has served as a refuge for A. cervicornis and that identifying other, similar sites may be critical to efforts to grow, preserve, conserve, and seed besieged Caribbean reefs.
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Ware M, Garfield EN, Nedimyer K, Levy J, Kaufman L, Precht W, Winters RS, Miller SL. Survivorship and growth in staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) outplanting projects in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231817. [PMID: 32374734 PMCID: PMC7202597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant population declines in Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata began in the 1970s and now exceed over 90%. The losses were caused by a combination of coral disease and bleaching, with possible contributions from other stressors, including pollution and predation. Reproduction in the wild by fragment regeneration and sexual recruitment is inadequate to offset population declines. Starting in 2007, the Coral Restoration Foundation™ evaluated the feasibility of outplanting A. cervicornis colonies to reefs in the Florida Keys to restore populations at sites where the species was previously abundant. Reported here are the results of 20 coral outplanting projects with each project defined as a cohort of colonies outplanted at the same time and location. Photogrammetric analysis and in situ monitoring (2007 to 2015) measured survivorship, growth, and condition of 2419 colonies. Survivorship was initially high but generally decreased after two years. Survivorship among projects based on colony counts ranged from 4% to 89% for seven cohorts monitored at least five years. Weibull survival models were used to estimate survivorship beyond the duration of the projects and ranged from approximately 0% to over 35% after five years and 0% to 10% after seven years. Growth rate averaged 10 cm/year during the first two years then plateaued in subsequent years. After four years, approximately one-third of surviving colonies were ≥ 50 cm in maximum diameter. Projects used three to sixteen different genotypes and significant differences did not occur in survivorship, condition, or growth. Restoration times for three reefs were calculated based on NOAA Recovery Plan (NRP) metrics (colony abundance and size) and the findings from projects reported here. Results support NRP conclusions that reducing stressors is required before significant population growth and recovery will occur. Until then, outplanting protects against local extinction and helps to maintain genetic diversity in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Ware
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States of America
| | - Eliza N. Garfield
- Department of Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Ken Nedimyer
- Reef Renewal, LLC, Tavernier, FL, United States of America
| | - Jessica Levy
- Coral Restoration Foundation, Key Largo, FL, United States of America
| | - Les Kaufman
- Marine Program and Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - William Precht
- Marine and Coastal Programs, Dial Cordy and Associates, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - R. Scott Winters
- Coral Restoration Foundation, Key Largo, FL, United States of America
| | - Steven L. Miller
- Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, United States of America
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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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Kahng SE, Akkaynak D, Shlesinger T, Hochberg EJ, Wiedenmann J, Tamir R, Tchernov D. Light, Temperature, Photosynthesis, Heterotrophy, and the Lower Depth Limits of Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems. CORAL REEFS OF THE WORLD 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Toth LT, Kuffner IB, Stathakopoulos A, Shinn EA. A 3,000-year lag between the geological and ecological shutdown of Florida's coral reefs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5471-5483. [PMID: 30133073 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The global-scale degradation of coral reefs has reached a critical threshold wherein further declines threaten both ecological functionality and the persistence of reef structure. Geological records can provide valuable insights into the long-term controls on reef development that may be key to solving the modern coral-reef crisis. Our analyses of new and existing coral-reef cores from throughout the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) revealed significant spatial and temporal variability in reef development during the Holocene. Whereas maximum Holocene reef thickness in the Dry Tortugas was comparable to elsewhere in the western Atlantic, most of Florida's reefs had relatively thin accumulations of Holocene reef framework. During periods of active reef development, average reef accretion rates were similar throughout the FKRT at ~3 m/ky. The spatial variability in reef thickness was instead driven by differences in the duration of reef development. Reef accretion declined significantly from ~6,000 years ago to present, and by ~3,000 years ago, the majority of the FKRT was geologically senescent. Although sea level influenced the development of Florida's reefs, it was not the ultimate driver of reef demise. Instead, we demonstrate that the timing of reef senescence was modulated by subregional hydrographic variability, and hypothesize that climatic cooling was the ultimate cause of reef shutdown. The senescence of the FKRT left the ecosystem balanced at a delicate tipping point at which a veneer of living coral was the only barrier to reef erosion. Modern climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances have now pushed many reefs past that critical threshold and into a novel ecosystem state, in which reef structures built over millennia could soon be lost. The dominant role of climate in the development of the FKRT over timescales of decades to millennia highlights the potential vulnerability of both geological and ecological reef processes to anthropogenic climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren T Toth
- U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
| | - Ilsa B Kuffner
- U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
| | | | - Eugene A Shinn
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida
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8
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D'Antonio NL, Gilliam DS, Walker BK. Investigating the spatial distribution and effects of nearshore topography on Acropora cervicornis abundance in Southeast Florida. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2473. [PMID: 27703844 PMCID: PMC5045887 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dense Acropora cervicornis aggregations, or patches, have been documented within nearshore habitats in Southeast Florida (SE FL) despite close proximity to numerous anthropogenic stressors and subjection to frequent natural disturbance events. Limited information has been published concerning the distribution and abundance of A. cervicornis outside of these known dense patches. The first goal of this study was to conduct a spatially extensive and inclusive survey (9.78 km2) to determine whether A. cervicornis distribution in the nearshore habitat of SE FL was spatially uniform or clustered. The second goal was to investigate potential relationships between broad-scale seafloor topography and A. cervicornis abundance using high resolution bathymetric data. Acropora cervicornis was distributed throughout the study area, and the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic and Anselin Local Moran’s I spatial cluster analysis showed significant clustering along topographic features termed ridge crests. Significant clustering was further supported by the inverse distance weighted surface model. Ordinal logistic regression indicated 1) as distance from a ridge increases, odds of reduced A. cervicornis abundance increases; 2) as topographic elevation increases, odds of increased abundance increases; and 3) as mean depth increases, odds of increased abundance increases. This study provides detailed information on A. cervicornis distribution and abundance at a regional scale and supports modeling its distributions in similar habitats elsewhere throughout the western Atlantic and Caribbean. Acropora cervicornis is frequently observed and in areas an abundant species within the nearshore habitat along the SE FL portion of the Florida Reef Tract (FRT). This study provides a better understanding of local habitat associations thus facilitating appropriate management of the nearshore environment and species conservation. The portion of the FRT between Hillsboro and Port Everglades inlets should be considered for increased management and protection to reduce local stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L D'Antonio
- Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University , Dania Beach, Florida , United States
| | - David S Gilliam
- Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University , Dania Beach, Florida , United States
| | - Brian K Walker
- Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University , Dania Beach, Florida , United States
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9
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Kemp DW, Colella MA, Bartlett LA, Ruzicka RR, Porter JW, Fitt WK. Life after cold death: reef coral and coral reef responses to the 2010 cold water anomaly in the Florida Keys. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dustin W. Kemp
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia AthensGeorgia USA
| | - Michael A. Colella
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute St. PetersburgFlorida USA
| | - Lucy A. Bartlett
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute St. PetersburgFlorida USA
| | - Rob R. Ruzicka
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute St. PetersburgFlorida USA
| | - James W. Porter
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia AthensGeorgia USA
| | - William K. Fitt
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia AthensGeorgia USA
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11
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Potential Habitat of Acropora spp. on Reefs of Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Glob Ecol Conserv 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2014.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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12
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Lesser MP, Jarett JK. Culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses reveal no prokaryotic community shifts or recovery ofSerratia marcescensinAcropora palmatawith white pox disease. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2014; 88:457-67. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Lesser
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Science; University of New Hampshire; Durham NH USA
| | - Jessica K. Jarett
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Science; University of New Hampshire; Durham NH USA
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McGinley MP, Aschaffenburg MD, Pettay DT, Smith RT, LaJeunesse TC, Warner ME. Transcriptional response of two core photosystem genes in Symbiodinium spp. exposed to thermal stress. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50439. [PMID: 23236373 PMCID: PMC3517614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic symbioses between scleractinian corals and endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) are the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. For many coral-algal symbioses, prolonged episodes of thermal stress damage the symbiont's photosynthetic capability, resulting in its expulsion from the host. Despite the link between photosynthetic competency and symbiont expulsion, little is known about the effect of thermal stress on the expression of photosystem genes in Symbiodinium. This study used real-time PCR to monitor the transcript abundance of two important photosynthetic reaction center genes, psbA (encoding the D1 protein of photosystem II) and psaA (encoding the P700 protein of photosystem I), in four cultured isolates (representing ITS2-types A13, A20, B1, and F2) and two in hospite Symbiodinium spp. within the coral Pocillopora spp. (ITS2-types C1b-c and D1). Both cultured and in hospite Symbiodinium samples were exposed to elevated temperatures (32°C) over a 7-day period and examined for changes in photochemistry and transcript abundance. Symbiodinium A13 and C1b-c (both thermally sensitive) demonstrated significant declines in both psbA and psaA during the thermal stress treatment, whereas the transcript levels of the other Symbiodinium types remained stable. The downregulation of both core photosystem genes could be the result of several different physiological mechanisms, but may ultimately limit repair rates of photosynthetic proteins, rendering some Symbiodinium spp. especially susceptible to thermal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. McGinley
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Matthew D. Aschaffenburg
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Daniel T. Pettay
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, United States of America
| | - Robin T. Smith
- Department of Biology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Todd C. LaJeunesse
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Mark E. Warner
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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Lirman D, Schopmeyer S, Manzello D, Gramer LJ, Precht WF, Muller-Karger F, Banks K, Barnes B, Bartels E, Bourque A, Byrne J, Donahue S, Duquesnel J, Fisher L, Gilliam D, Hendee J, Johnson M, Maxwell K, McDevitt E, Monty J, Rueda D, Ruzicka R, Thanner S. Severe 2010 cold-water event caused unprecedented mortality to corals of the Florida reef tract and reversed previous survivorship patterns. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23047. [PMID: 21853066 PMCID: PMC3154280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2011] [Accepted: 07/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Coral reefs are facing increasing pressure from natural and anthropogenic stressors that have already caused significant worldwide declines. In January 2010, coral reefs of Florida, United States, were impacted by an extreme cold-water anomaly that exposed corals to temperatures well below their reported thresholds (16°C), causing rapid coral mortality unprecedented in spatial extent and severity. Methodology/Principal Findings Reef surveys were conducted from Martin County to the Lower Florida Keys within weeks of the anomaly. The impacts recorded were catastrophic and exceeded those of any previous disturbances in the region. Coral mortality patterns were directly correlated to in-situ and satellite-derived cold-temperature metrics. These impacts rival, in spatial extent and intensity, the impacts of the well-publicized warm-water bleaching events around the globe. The mean percent coral mortality recorded for all species and subregions was 11.5% in the 2010 winter, compared to 0.5% recorded in the previous five summers, including years like 2005 where warm-water bleaching was prevalent. Highest mean mortality (15%–39%) was documented for inshore habitats where temperatures were <11°C for prolonged periods. Increases in mortality from previous years were significant for 21 of 25 coral species, and were 1–2 orders of magnitude higher for most species. Conclusions/Significance The cold-water anomaly of January 2010 caused the worst coral mortality on record for the Florida Reef Tract, highlighting the potential catastrophic impacts that unusual but extreme climatic events can have on the persistence of coral reefs. Moreover, habitats and species most severely affected were those found in high-coral cover, inshore, shallow reef habitats previously considered the “oases” of the region, having escaped declining patterns observed for more offshore habitats. Thus, the 2010 cold-water anomaly not only caused widespread coral mortality but also reversed prior resistance and resilience patterns that will take decades to recover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Lirman
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
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15
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Porter JW, Fitt WK, Spero HJ, Rogers CS, White MW. Bleaching in reef corals: Physiological and stable isotopic responses. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 86:9342-6. [PMID: 16594090 PMCID: PMC298491 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.86.23.9342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the late summer to fall of 1987, Caribbean reef corals experienced an intense and widespread discoloration event described as bleaching. Contrary to initial predictions, most bleached corals did not die. However, energy input from zooxanthellae decreased, as estimated from: (i) delta(13)C values, a measure of the discrimination against (13)C in (12)C/(13)C assimilation, of skeletal aragonite; (ii) in situ photosynthesis-irradiance measurements; (iii) and tissue biomass parameters of Montastraea annularis and Agaricia lamarcki. The delta(18)O signal, a measure of the discrimination against (18)O in (16)O/(18)O assimilation, from M. annularis skeletons demonstrated that this event coincided with abnormally elevated water temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W Porter
- Department of Zoology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
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16
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Chen T, Yu K, Shi Q, Li S, Price GJ, Wang R, Zhao M, CHen T, Zhao J. Twenty-five years of change in scleractinian coral communities of Daya Bay (northern South China Sea) and its response to the 2008 AD extreme cold climate event. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-009-0007-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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17
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Wilkes AA, Cook MM, DiGirolamo AL, Eme J, Grim JM, Hohmann BC, Conner SL, McGill CJ, Pomory CM, Bennett WA. A Comparison of Damselfish Densities on Live Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis) and Coral Rubble in Dry Tortugas National Park. SOUTHEAST NAT 2008. [DOI: 10.1656/1528-7092-7.3.483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Connell JH, Hughes TP, Wallace CC. A 30-YEAR STUDY OF CORAL ABUNDANCE, RECRUITMENT, AND DISTURBANCE AT SEVERAL SCALES IN SPACE AND TIME. ECOL MONOGR 1997. [DOI: 10.1890/0012-9615(1997)067[0461:aysoca]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 461] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Reef-Building Corals and Identification of Enso Warming Episodes. GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1982–83 EL NINO—SOUTHERNOSCILLATION 1990. [DOI: 10.1016/s0422-9894(08)70037-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Sediment-Mediated Biological Disturbance and the Evolution of Marine Benthos. TOPICS IN GEOBIOLOGY 1983. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4757-0740-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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