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Marzonie MR, Nitschke MR, Bay LK, Bourne DG, Harrison HB. Symbiodiniaceae diversity varies by host and environment across thermally distinct reefs. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17342. [PMID: 38584356 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae) influence coral thermal tolerance at both local and regional scales. In isolation, the effects of host genetics, environment, and thermal disturbances on symbiont communities are well understood, yet their combined effects remain poorly resolved. Here, we investigate Symbiodiniaceae across 1300 km in Australia's Coral Sea Marine Park to disentangle these interactive effects. We identified Symbiodiniaceae to species-level resolution for three coral species (Acropora cf humilis, Pocillopora verrucosa, and Pocillopora meandrina) by sequencing two genetic markers of the symbiont (ITS2 and psbAncr), paired with genotype-by-sequencing of the coral host (DArT-seq). Our samples predominantly returned sequences from the genus Cladocopium, where Acropora cf humilis affiliated with C3k, Pocillopora verrucosa with C. pacificum, and Pocillopora meandrina with C. latusorum. Multivariate analyses revealed that Acropora symbionts were driven strongly by local environment and thermal disturbances. In contrast, Pocillopora symbiont communities were both partitioned 2.5-fold more by host genetic structure than by environmental structure. Among the two Pocillopora species, the effects of environment and host genetics explained four times more variation in symbionts for P. meandrina than P. verrucosa. The concurrent bleaching event in 2020 had variable impacts on symbiont communities, consistent with patterns in P. verrucosa and A. cf humilis, but not P. meandrina. Our findings demonstrate how symbiont macroscale community structure responses to environmental gradients depend on host species and their respective population structure. Integrating host, symbiont, and environmental data will help forecast the adaptive potential of corals and their symbionts amidst a rapidly changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magena R Marzonie
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matthew R Nitschke
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Line K Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hugo B Harrison
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Matthews SA, Williamson DH, Beeden R, Emslie MJ, Abom RTM, Beard D, Bonin M, Bray P, Campili AR, Ceccarelli DM, Fernandes L, Fletcher CS, Godoy D, Hemingson CR, Jonker MJ, Lang BJ, Morris S, Mosquera E, Phillips GL, Sinclair-Taylor TH, Taylor S, Tracey D, Wilmes JC, Quincey R. Protecting Great Barrier Reef resilience through effective management of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298073. [PMID: 38656948 PMCID: PMC11042723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Resilience-based management is essential to protect ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Unlike large-scale climate threats to Great Barrier Reef (GBR) corals, outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) can be directly managed through targeted culling. Here, we evaluate the outcomes of a decade of strategic COTS management in suppressing outbreaks and protecting corals during the 4th COTS outbreak wave at reef and regional scales (sectors). We compare COTS density and coral cover dynamics during the 3rd and 4th outbreak waves. During the 4th outbreak wave, sectors that received limited to no culling had sustained COTS outbreaks causing significant coral losses. In contrast, in sectors that received timely and sufficient cull effort, coral cover increased substantially, and outbreaks were suppressed with COTS densities up to six-fold lower than in the 3rd outbreak wave. In the Townsville sector for example, despite exposure to comparable disturbance regimes during the 4th outbreak wave, effective outbreak suppression coincided with relative increases in sector-wide coral cover (44%), versus significant coral cover declines (37%) during the 3rd outbreak wave. Importantly, these estimated increases span entire sectors, not just reefs with active COTS control. Outbreaking reefs with higher levels of culling had net increases in coral cover, while the rate of coral loss was more than halved on reefs with lower levels of cull effort. Our results also indicate that outbreak wave progression to adjoining sectors has been delayed, probably via suppression of COTS larval supply. Our findings provide compelling evidence that proactive, targeted, and sustained COTS management can effectively suppress COTS outbreaks and deliver coral growth and recovery benefits at reef and sector-wide scales. The clear coral protection outcomes demonstrate the value of targeted manual culling as both a scalable intervention to mitigate COTS outbreaks, and a potent resilience-based management tool to "buy time" for coral reefs, protecting reef ecosystem functions and biodiversity as the climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roger Beeden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Mary Bonin
- Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane City, QLD, Australia
| | - Peran Bray
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Leanne Fernandes
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Dan Godoy
- Blue Planet Marine, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher R. Hemingson
- The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Bethan J. Lang
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Gareth L. Phillips
- Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators Ltd, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Sascha Taylor
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (Marine Parks), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dieter Tracey
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Richard Quincey
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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Zhai X, Zhang Y, Zhou J, Li H, Wang A, Liu L. Physiological and microbiome adaptation of coral Turbinaria peltata in response to marine heatwaves. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10869. [PMID: 38322002 PMCID: PMC10844694 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Against the backdrop of global warming, marine heatwaves are projected to become increasingly intense and frequent. This trend poses a potential threat to the survival of corals and the maintenance of entire coral reef ecosystems. Despite extensive evidence for the resilience of corals to heat stress, their ability to withstand repeated heatwave events has not been determined. In this study, we examined the responses and resilience of Turbinaria peltata to repeated exposure to marine heatwaves, with a focus on physiological parameters and symbiotic microorganisms. In the first heatwave, from a physiological perspective, T. peltata showed decreases in the Chl a content and endosymbiont density and significant increases in GST, caspase-3, CAT, and SOD levels (p < .05), while the effects of repeated exposure on heatwaves were weaker than those of the initial exposure. In terms of bacteria, the abundance of Leptospira, with the potential for pathogenicity and intracellular parasitism, increased significantly during the initial exposure. Beneficial bacteria, such as Achromobacter arsenitoxydans and Halomonas desiderata increased significantly during re-exposure to the heatwave. Overall, these results indicate that T. peltata might adapt to marine heatwaves through physiological regulation and microbial community alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhai
- College of FisheriesGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - YanPing Zhang
- College of FisheriesGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
- Guangdong Laboratory of Southern Ocean Science and EngineeringZhanjiangChina
| | - Jie Zhou
- College of FisheriesGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Hao Li
- College of FisheriesGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Ao Wang
- College of FisheriesGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
| | - Li Liu
- College of FisheriesGuangdong Ocean UniversityZhanjiangChina
- Guangdong Laboratory of Southern Ocean Science and EngineeringZhanjiangChina
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Bay LK, Gilmour J, Muir B, Hardisty PE. Management approaches to conserve Australia's marine ecosystem under climate change. Science 2023; 381:631-636. [PMID: 37561873 DOI: 10.1126/science.adi3023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Australia's coastal marine ecosystems have a deep cultural significance to Indigenous Australians, include multiple World Heritage sites, and support the nation's rapidly growing blue economy. Yet, increasing local pressures and global climate change are expected to undermine the biological, social, cultural, and economic value of these ecosystems within a human generation. Mitigating the causes of climate change is the most urgent action to secure their future; however, conventional and new management actions will play roles in preserving ecosystem function and value until that is achieved. This includes strategies codeveloped with Indigenous Australians that are guided by traditional ecological knowledge and a modeling and decision support framework. We provide examples of developments at one of Australia's most iconic ecosystems, the Great Barrier Reef, where recent, large block funding supports research, governance, and engagement to accelerate the development of tools for management under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Line K Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - James Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Bob Muir
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul E Hardisty
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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Burn D, Hoey AS, Matthews S, Harrison HB, Pratchett MS. Differential bleaching susceptibility among coral taxa and colony sizes, relative to bleaching severity across Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Marine Parks. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 191:114907. [PMID: 37080018 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Climate-induced coral bleaching represents the foremost threat to coral assemblages globally, however bleaching susceptibility varies among and within coral taxa. We compared bleaching susceptibility among 10 coral morpho-taxa and two colony size classes relative to reef-scale bleaching severity at 33 reefs across the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Marine Parks in February-March 2020. Colony size and bleaching severity caused the hierarchy of bleaching susceptibility among taxa to change considerably. Notably, massive Porites shifted from being among the least likely taxa to exhibit bleaching, to among the most susceptible as overall bleaching severity increased. Juvenile corals (≤5 cm diameter) were generally more resistant to bleaching, except for Montipora and Pocillopora colonies, which were more likely to bleach than adults (>5 cm). These findings suggest that colony size and reef-scale bleaching severity are important determinants of bleaching susceptibility among taxa and provide insights into possible shifts in the structure of coral assemblages caused by bleaching events.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Burn
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| | - A S Hoey
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - S Matthews
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - H B Harrison
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - M S Pratchett
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
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