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

Malika Menoud
2017
Student project

Abstract

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.

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Physiological and isotopic responses of scleractinian corals to ocean acidification

Maoz Fine, Anders Meibom

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2010

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The exchange of metabolites between photosynthetic symbionts and their coral host in shallow-water scleractinians provides the nutritional basis for their successful evolution and the existence of massive coral reefs in oligotrophic tropical waters. Autotrophic nutrition, based on carbon- and nitrogen-rich photosynthetic metabolites, is complemented by heterotrophic uptake and assimilation of organic matter to obtain additional carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. By combining TEM ultrastructural observations with quantitative NanoSIMS isotopic imaging of tissue sections at sub-cellular resolution, we have compared the exchange of nutrients from the autotrophic assimilation of 15N-nitrate and 13C-bicarbonate with the heterotrophic uptake from 15N- and 13C-labelled brine shrimps in Stylophora pistillata from the Red Sea. Our results confirm that heterotrophy serves as the dominant source of nitrogen for the coral holobiont. On a time scale of 6 hours, heterotrophy provided approximately nine times more nitrogen to the host gastrodermal anabolism than symbiont nitrate fixation and translocation. Heterotrophic nitrogen was also used in anabolic processes in the symbionts, but at a level about 40% lower compared with nitrogen incorporation from nitrate fixation. The role of photosynthesizing symbionts the major contributors of carbon to the coral host was evident from the observation that autotrophic carbon enrichment in the gastrodermal layer was seven times higher in comparison to the heterotrophic carbon acquisition. Our observations directly demonstrate the complementing roles of heterotrophic and autotrophic food acquisition and support the notion that recycling of nutrients in symbiotic coral holobionts is critical to their vitality. The effects of stress from environmental change, including increasing water temperature and ocean acidification, are under investigation.

2015

Coral bleaching—the stress-induced collapse of the coral–Symbiodinium symbiosis—is a significant driver of worldwide coral reef degradation. Yet, not all corals are equally susceptible to bleaching, and we lack a clear understanding of the mechanisms underpinning their differential susceptibilities. Here, we focus on cellular redox regulation as a potential determinant of bleaching susceptibility in the reef coral Stylophora pistillata. Using slow heating (1 °C d−1) and altered irradiance, we induced bleaching in S. pistillata colonies sampled from two depths [5–8 m (shallow) and 15–18 m (deep)]. There was significant depth-dependent variability in the timing and extent of bleaching (loss of symbiont cells), as well as in host enzymatic antioxidant activity [specifically, superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT)]. However, among the coral fragments that bleached, most did so without displaying any evidence of a host enzymatic antioxidant response. For example, both deep and shallow corals suffered significant symbiont loss at elevated temperature, but only deep colonies exposed to high temperature and high light displayed any up-regulation of host antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT). Surprisingly, this preceded the equivalent antioxidant responses of the symbiont, which raises questions about the source(s) of hydrogen peroxide in the symbiosis. Overall, changes in enzymatic antioxidant activity in the symbionts were driven primarily by irradiance rather than temperature, and responses were similar across depth groups. Taken together, our results suggest that in the absence of light stress, heating of 1 °C d−1 to 4 °C above ambient is not sufficient to induce a substantial oxidative challenge in S. pistillata. We provide some of the first evidence that regulation of coral enzymatic antioxidants can vary significantly depending on habitat, and, in terms of determining bleaching susceptibility, our results suggest a significant role for the host’s differential regulation of cellular redox status.

Springer Verlag2015

Physiological and isotopic responses of scleractinian corals to ocean acidification

Maoz Fine, Anders Meibom

2010