Two threatened Caribbean coral species have contrasting responses to combined temperature and acidification stress
Abstract There is growing evidence that different coral species and algal symbionts ( Symbiodinium spp.) can vary greatly in their response to rising temperatures and also ocean acidification. In a fully crossed factorial experimental design, two threatened Caribbean reef‐building coral species, Acr...
| Published in: | Limnology and Oceanography |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lno.10952 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Flno.10952 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/lno.10952 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/lno.10952 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/am-pdf/10.1002%2Flno.10952 https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/lno.10952 |
| Summary: | Abstract There is growing evidence that different coral species and algal symbionts ( Symbiodinium spp.) can vary greatly in their response to rising temperatures and also ocean acidification. In a fully crossed factorial experimental design, two threatened Caribbean reef‐building coral species, Acropora cervicornis hosting a mixture of Symbiodinium clades A and C and Orbicella faveolata hosting Symbiodinium D, were exposed to combinations of a normal (26°C) and elevated (32°C) temperature and normal (380 ppm) and elevated (800 ppm) CO 2 for 62 d and then recovered at 26°C and 380 ppm or 32°C and 380 ppm for an additional 56 d. CO 2 enrichment did not confer enhanced thermal tolerance as had been suggested in other studies. A. cervicornis was more sensitive to heat stress (maximum monthly mean + 1.5°C) experiencing 100% mortality after 25 d while all O. faveolata survived. Conversely, O. faveolata was more sensitive to high CO 2 experiencing a 47% reduction in growth while A. cervicornis experienced no significant reduction. It is predicted that A. cervicornis is unlikely to survive past 2035. O. faveolata with D symbionts might survive to 2060 and later but its abundance will be impacted by CO 2 effects on recruitment potential. |
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