Stylophora pistillata | EPFL Graph Search

Stylophora pistillata, commonly known as hood coral or smooth cauliflower coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region and is commonly used in scientific investigations. Description Stylophora pistillata has broad, blunt-ended branches, and colonies become thicker and more submassive as they grow. The maximum diameter of a colony is about . The corallites (stony cups from which the polyps emerge) are conical or hooded and are sunk beneath the general surface. The columella (central column of the corallite) is solid and prominent, and the septa (stony plates forming the corallite wall) may be fused to the columella. There are six primary septa and sometimes six secondary ones. Colonies can be cream, pink, bluish or green. Distribution Stylophora pistillata is widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from Madagascar,

Rapid Recruitment of Symbiotic Algae into Developing Scleractinian Coral Tissues

Thomas Bockel

While the early acquisition of Symbiodiniaceae algae into coral host tissues has been extensively studied, the dynamics of the migration of algal cells into rapidly expanding coral tissues still lacks a systematic study. This work examined two Red Sea branching coral species, Pocillopora damicornis and Stylophora pistillata, as they were growing and expanding their tissue laterally on glass slides (January-June, 2014; 450 assays; five colonies/species). We measured lateral tissue expansion rates and intratissue dinoflagellate migration rates. Tissue growth rates significantly differed between the two species (with Stylophora faster than Pocillopora), but not between genotypes within a species. Using a "flow-through coral chamber" under the microscope, the migration of dinoflagellates towards the peripheral edges of the expanding coral tissue was quantified. On a five-day timescale, the density of the endosymbiotic dinoflagellate cells, presenting within a 90 mu m region of expanding coral tissue (outer edge), increased by a factor of 23.6 for Pocillopora (from 1.2 x 10(4) cells cm(-2) to 2.4 x 10(5) cells cm(-2)) and by a factor of 6.8 for Stylophora (from 3.6 x 10(4) cells cm(-2) to 2.4 x 10(5) cells cm(-2)). The infection rates were fast (5.2 x 10(4) and 4.1 x 10(4) algal cells day-1 cm(-2), respectively), further providing evidence of an as yet unknown pathway of algal movement within coral host tissues.

2019

Reproductive and trans-generational effect of ocean acidification and warming on the coral Stylophora pistillata in the Gulf of Aqaba

Malika Menoud

Global warming is threatening 75 % of the world’s coral reefs. The reproduction of corals is a driver for the development of the whole reef ecosystem. Then, it is essential to better understand the transgenerational mechanisms in the response of parents and offspring to elevated temperature and lowered pH. Colonies of Stylophora pistillata from the Gulf of Aqaba during their reproduction period were exposed to a 4°C increase in temperature and a pH of 7.6 for 36 days, then a 6°C increase for six days. Planulae were counted on seven consecutive nights, two times during the experiment period. Physiological characteristics of adult and planulae were assessed on four and five sampling points respectively, as well as the behaviour of the planulae through their incubation. Results show no effect of OWA on the reproduction, parents, and planulae physiology. They suggest that the natural resistance of corals in the Gulf of Aqaba is transmitted from parent to offspring. Data on planulae quantity, survival, settlement, and metabolism provides additional and useful information to understand the biology of this coral, specially in its early-life stage. This study’s outcome is adding evidences of the future development of corals reefs in this region, unlike several other tropical reefs in the world.

2017

Is the Red Sea coral Stylophora pistillata already prepared for future ocean conditions?

Julia Marie Jeanne Yvonne Bodin, Maoz Fine, Maria-Evangelia Giovani, Thomas Krüger, Anders Meibom

Migration of corals through a hot water bottleneck in the Southern Red Sea, following the last glacial period, has led to a situation where corals in the Northern Red Sea now express high thermal thresholds while living at suboptimal lower temperatures. We tested to what extent the coral Stylophora pistillata is capable of resisting future ocean conditions as a result of this selection. We combined chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, biochemical markers, and respirometry with state of the art correlative TEM and NanoSIMS techniques to obtain a holistic picture on the physiological impact of the isolated and combined effects of temperature (+5°C) and pH (-0.3 units relative to ambient). After 2 months, most physiological variables were either unaffected or improved by the combined effect of high temperature and low pH. Net oxygen production effectively doubled due to changes in photochemistry and higher symbiont pigmentation, and we observed higher values for holobiont productivity with P:R ratios of up to 1.72. No significant change in the activity of enzymatic antioxidants or daily calcification was detected. NanoSIMS data revealed that carbon and nitrogen assimilation in the symbiont and host gastrodermis are negatively affected by isolated temperature stress. However, no difference in the proportion of symbiont-derived carbon in the host lipids was observed and neither protein nor overall carbohydrate content was affected in either partner. Our data point to a high degree of physiological resistance of this coral to the expected global trends in ocean conditions and emphasize the urgency of reducing local stressors in this region.

2016