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Thermal tolerance traits of individual corals are widely distributed across the Great Barrier Reef1.23 MB
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Thermal tolerance traits of individual corals are widely distributed across the Great Barrier Reef
Proceedings Biological sciences, Vol.291(2030)
11/09/2024
PMID: 39257340
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Adaptation of reef-building corals to global warming depends upon standing heritable variation in tolerance traits upon which selection can act. Yet limited knowledge exists on heat-tolerance variation among conspecific individuals separated by metres to hundreds of kilometres. Here, we performed standardized acute heat-stress assays to quantify the thermal tolerance traits of 709 colonies of Acropora spathulata from 13 reefs spanning 1060 km (9.5° latitude) of the Great Barrier Reef. Thermal thresholds for photochemical efficiency and chlorophyll retention varied considerably among individual colonies both among reefs (approximately 6°C) and within reefs (approximately 3°C). Although tolerance rankings of colonies varied between traits, the most heat-tolerant corals (i.e. top 25% of each trait) were found at virtually all reefs, indicating widespread phenotypic variation. Reef-scale environmental predictors explained 12–62% of trait variation. Corals exposed to high thermal averages and recent thermal stress exhibited the greatest photochemical performance, probably reflecting local adaptation and stress pre-acclimatization, and the lowest chlorophyll retention suggesting stress pre-sensitization. Importantly, heat tolerance relative to local summer temperatures was the greatest on higher latitude reefs suggestive of higher adaptive potential. These results can be used to identify naturally tolerant coral populations and individuals for conservation and restoration applications.
Details
- Title
- Thermal tolerance traits of individual corals are widely distributed across the Great Barrier Reef
- Creators
- Hugo Denis - Southern Cross UniversityLine K Bay - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceVéronique J.L Mocellin - Australian Institute of Marine ScienceMelissa S Naugle - Southern Cross University, National Marine Science CentreGaël Lecellier - Institut de Sciences Exactes et Appliquées (Noumea, Caledonia)Steven W Purcell - Southern Cross University, National Marine Science CentreVéronique Berteaux-LecellierEmily Howells - Southern Cross University, National Marine Science Centre
- Publication Details
- Proceedings Biological sciences, Vol.291(2030)
- Publisher
- The Royal Society Publishing
- Grant note
- This work was supported by the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Found.
- Identifiers
- 991013221312702368
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; National Marine Science Centre
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article