Genomic signatures suggesting adaptation to ocean acidification in a coral holobiont from volcanic CO2 seeps

• Published in: Communications Biology
• Main Authors: Leiva, Carlos, Pérez Portela, Rocío, Lemer, Sarah
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2023
• Subjects: Captura i emmagatzematge de diòxid de carboni; Coralls; Oceans; Canvi climàtic; Carbon sequestration; Corals; Climatic change; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/201986

Ocean acidification, caused by anthropogenic CO 2 emissions, is predicted to have major consequences for reef-building corals, jeopardizing the scaffolding of the most biodiverse marine habitats. However, whether corals can adapt to ocean acidification and how remains unclear. We addressed these questions by re-examining transcriptome and genome data of Acropora millepora coral holobionts from volcanic CO2 seeps with end-of-century pH levels. We show that adaptation to ocean acidification is a wholistic process involving the three main compartments of the coral holobiont. We identified 441 coral host candidate adaptive genes involved in calcification, response to acidification, and symbiosis; population genetic differentiation in dinoflagellate photosymbionts; and consistent transcriptional microbiome activity despite microbial community shifts. Coral holobionts from natural analogues to future ocean conditions harbor beneficial genetic variants with far-reaching rapid adaptation potential. In the face of climate change, these populations require immediate conservation strategies as they could become key to coral reef survival.