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Zhou Z, Yang H, Li S, Niu H, Yuan D, Zhao H. Phosphorus addition mitigates the combined negative effects of high temperature and nitrogen stress on corals. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 207:107075. [PMID: 40085982 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2025] [Revised: 03/05/2025] [Accepted: 03/06/2025] [Indexed: 03/16/2025]
Abstract
Global warming and imbalances in nitrogen (N)-phosphorus (P) ratios due to increased human activity have had significant impacts on coral reef ecosystems. However, the underlying mechanisms of these impacts remain poorly understood. In this study, a controlled experiment was conducted on Acropora hyacinthus treated with different P concentrations at high temperature (30 °C) and high N level (9 μM nitrate), which was analyzed in terms of physical observations and physiological indices, as well as photosynthetic activity and fatty acid composition. The results indicated that nitrate enrichment significantly reduced Symbiodiniaceae density, total chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic efficiency, as well as notable coral bleaching. P addition alleviated some of these detrimental effects, enhancing symbiotic relationship and maintaining photosynthetic activity. Additionally, changes in fatty acid composition suggest that P supplementation may improve coral tolerance to the combined stress of heat stress and nitrate enrichment by enhancing coral heterotrophy. These findings underscore the importance of balanced nutrient ratio for corals and propose P supplementation as a potential strategy to mitigate the combined stress on coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuojing Zhou
- International Joint Research Center for Coral Reef Ecology of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Huidan Yang
- International Joint Research Center for Coral Reef Ecology of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Sichen Li
- International Joint Research Center for Coral Reef Ecology of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Haochen Niu
- International Joint Research Center for Coral Reef Ecology of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Dongdan Yuan
- International Joint Research Center for Coral Reef Ecology of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- International Joint Research Center for Coral Reef Ecology of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, School of Ecology, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
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Gómez-Gras D, Linares C, Viladrich N, Zentner Y, Grinyó J, Gori A, McFadden CS, Fabricius KE, Madin JS. The Octocoral Trait Database: a global database of trait information for octocoral species. Sci Data 2025; 12:82. [PMID: 39814778 PMCID: PMC11735844 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-04307-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 12/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2025] Open
Abstract
Trait-based approaches are revolutionizing our understanding of high-diversity ecosystems by providing insights into the principles underlying key ecological processes, such as community assembly, species distribution, resilience, and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In 2016, the Coral Trait Database advanced coral reef science by centralizing trait information for stony corals (i.e., Subphylum Anthozoa, Class Hexacorallia, Order Scleractinia). However, the absence of trait data for soft corals, gorgonians, and sea pens (i.e., Class Octocorallia) limits our understanding of ecosystems where these organisms are significant members and play pivotal roles. To address this gap, we introduce the Octocoral Trait Database, a global, open-source database of curated trait data for octocorals. This database houses species- and individual-level data, complemented by contextual information that provides a relevant framework for analyses. The inaugural dataset, OctocoralTraits v2.2, contains over 97,500 global trait observations across 98 traits and over 3,500 species. The database aims to evolve into a steadily growing, community-led resource that advances future marine science, with a particular emphasis on coral reef research.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Gómez-Gras
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, Hawai'i, USA.
- Departament Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - C Linares
- Departament Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - N Viladrich
- Departament Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Y Zentner
- Departament Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Grinyó
- Institut de Ciències Del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Ocean System Sciences, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Den Burg, the Netherlands
| | - A Gori
- Departament Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - C S McFadden
- Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California, USA
| | - K E Fabricius
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - J S Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, Hawai'i, USA
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Zhang J, Huang Z, Li Y, Fu D, Li Q, Pei L, Song Y, Chen L, Zhao H, Kao SJ. Synergistic/antagonistic effects of nitrate/ammonium enrichment on fatty acid biosynthesis and translocation in coral under heat stress. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 876:162834. [PMID: 36924962 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Superimposed on ocean warming, nitrogen enrichment caused by human activity puts corals under even greater pressure. Biosynthesis of fatty acids (FA) is crucial for coral holobiont survival. However, the responses of FA biosynthesis pathways to nitrogen enrichment under heat stress in coral hosts and Symbiodiniaceae remain unknown, as do FA translocation mechanisms in corals. Herein, we used the thermosensitive coral species Acropora hyacinthus to investigate changes in FA biosynthesis pathways and polyunsaturated FA translocation of coral hosts and Symbiodiniaceae with respect to nitrate and ammonium enrichment under heat stress. Heat stress promoted pro-inflammatory FA biosynthesis in coral hosts and inhibited FA biosynthesis in Symbiodiniaceae. Nitrate enrichment inhibited anti-inflammatory FA biosynthesis in Symbiodiniaceae, and promoted pro-inflammatory FA biosynthesis in coral hosts and translocation to Symbiodiniaceae, leading to bleaching after 14 days of culture. Intriguingly, ammonium enrichment promoted anti-inflammatory FA biosynthesis in Symbiodiniaceae and translocation to hosts, allowing corals to better endure heat stress. We constructed schematic diagrams of the shift in FA biosynthesis and translocation in and between A. hyacinthus and its Symbiodiniaceae under heat stress, heat and nitrate co-stress, and heat and ammonium co-stress. The findings provide insight into the mechanisms of coral bleaching under environmental stress from a fatty acid perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resources Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Haikou Marine Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Haikou 571127, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Zanhui Huang
- Haikou Marine Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Haikou 571127, China
| | - Yuanchao Li
- Hainan Academy of Marine and Fishery Sciences, Haikou 571126, China
| | - Dinghui Fu
- Haikou Marine Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Haikou 571127, China
| | - Qipei Li
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Lixin Pei
- Haikou Marine Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Haikou 571127, China
| | - Yanwei Song
- Haikou Marine Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Haikou 571127, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Haikou Marine Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Haikou 571127, China
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resources Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration of Hainan Province, College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Shuh-Ji Kao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resources Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
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Shallow-emerged coral may warn of deep-sea coral response to thermal stress. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22439. [PMID: 34789855 PMCID: PMC8599838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01948-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Gulf of Alaska, commercially harvested fish species utilize habitats dominated by red tree corals (Primnoa pacifica) for shelter, feeding, and nurseries, but recent studies hint that environmental conditions may be interrupting the reproductive lifecycle of the corals. The North Pacific has experienced persistent and extreme thermal variability in recent years and this pattern is predicted to continue in coming decades. Recent discovery of deep-water emerged coral populations in Southeast Alaska fjords provided opportunity for detailed life-history studies and comparison to corals in managed habitats on the continental shelf. Here we show that sperm from deep colonies develops completely, but in shallow colonies, sperm development is prematurely halted, likely preventing successful production of larvae. We hypothesize that the divergence is due to differing temperature regimes presently experienced by the corals. Compared to deep populations below the thermocline, shallow populations experience much greater seasonal thermal variability and annual pulses of suspected near-lethal temperatures that appear to interrupt the production of viable gametes. The unique opportunity to comprehensively study emerged populations presently affected by thermal stress provides advance warning of the possible fate of deep corals in the Gulf of Alaska that will soon experience similar ocean conditions.
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Imbs AB, Dang LT. Seasonal dynamics of fatty acid biomarkers in the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis, a common species of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2021.104246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Cerrano C, Bastari A, Calcinai B, Di Camillo C, Pica D, Puce S, Valisano L, Torsani F. Temperate mesophotic ecosystems: gaps and perspectives of an emerging conservation challenge for the Mediterranean Sea. EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2019.1677790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Cerrano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - A. Bastari
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - B. Calcinai
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - C. Di Camillo
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - D. Pica
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - S. Puce
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - L. Valisano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - F. Torsani
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
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