| Summary: | Credit F. W. Meyer, C. Wild, S. Uthicke (AIMS) Purpose The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a combined effect of decreased pH and decreased light on physiological responses of the coral is larger than that of each stressor individually. This dataset consists of one data file from a 16 day aquarium experiment manipulating pH and light level and measuring growth, photosynthesis, calcification and pigment content of Acropora millepora. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a combined effect of decreased pH and decreased light on physiological responses of the coral is larger than that of each stressor individually. Method: Colonies of the coral Acropora millepora were collected from an inshore fringing reef next to Pelorus Island (central section of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR); 18° 33.001’ S, 146° 29.304’ E) between 2 and 4 m below lowest astronomical tide (LAT). After colonies were fragmented, individual coral nubbins were glued onto stubs and kept at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS, Townsville) in flow-through (recirculating flow ~1200 l h-1) aquaria facilities under plasma light (150 µmol photons m-2 s-1) for >3 mo. Nubbins were transferred into experimental tanks 2 weeks prior to the start of experiment to acclimate to experimental control conditions. Light levels chosen as the control and low light conditions were well within average ranges found between 3 and 6 m below LAT at midshelf and inshore reefs on the GBR, respectively. The manipulative aquaria experiment was carried out in flow-through conditions over a period of 16 days between July and August 2012 at AIMS. After two weeks acclimation, four nubbins of A. millepora were allocated to each of the twelve experimental aquaria. Four treatments with three replicate tanks (working volume 17.5 L) were placed in alternating order. Treatments consisted of combinations of ambient pCO2 (427 µatm), high pCO2 (1073 µatm), low light (35 µmol photons m-2 s-1) and control light (150 µmol photons m-2 s-1). ...
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