Heat-evolved microalgal symbionts increase thermal bleaching tolerance of coral juveniles without a trade-off against growth

Quigley, KM; Alvarez-Roa, C; Raina, J-B; Pernice, M; van Oppen, MJH

Heat-evolved microalgal symbionts increase thermal bleaching tolerance of coral juveniles without a trade-off against growth

Quigley, KM Alvarez-Roa, C Raina, J-B Pernice, M

van Oppen, MJH

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Publisher:: Springer
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Coral Reefs, 2023, 42, pp. 1227-1232
Issue Date:: 2023

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Quigley, KM
dc.contributor.author	Alvarez-Roa, C
dc.contributor.author	Raina, J-B
dc.contributor.author	Pernice, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3431-2104
dc.contributor.author	van Oppen, MJH
dc.date.accessioned	2024-03-09T21:40:00Z
dc.date.available	2024-03-09T21:40:00Z
dc.date.issued	2023
dc.identifier.citation	Coral Reefs, 2023, 42, pp. 1227-1232
dc.identifier.issn	0722-4028
dc.identifier.issn	1432-0975
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176408
dc.description.abstract	Global climate change is threatening the persistence of coral reefs as associated summer heatwaves trigger the loss of microalgal endosymbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) from the coral tissues, or coral bleaching. We infected aposymbiotic juveniles of the coral Acropora tenuis with either wildtype (WT10) or heat-evolved (SS1 or SS8) Symbiodiniaceae strains Cladocopium proliferum (formerly referred to as Cladocopium goreaui and Cladocopium C1acro). After 10 months at 27 °C, SS8-juveniles were 2 × larger than SS1- or WT10-juveniles. In response to a simulated heatwave (31 °C for 41 days), the WT10-juveniles bleached and showed a decline in respiration while cell densities and respiration in both SS-juvenile groups remained unchanged compared to the controls. These results reveal that some heat-evolved strains can increase the bleaching tolerance of juvenile corals without a trade-off against growth. This response is opposite to the lower nutrient provisioning often reported for naturally thermotolerant Symbiodiniaceae (e.g. genus Durusdinium), thereby offering enhanced fitness to the host without the ecological consequences of diminished growth.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Springer
dc.relation.ispartof	Coral Reefs
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00338-023-02426-z
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	04 Earth Sciences, 05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
dc.subject.classification	31 Biological sciences
dc.subject.classification	37 Earth sciences
dc.subject.classification	41 Environmental sciences
dc.title	Heat-evolved microalgal symbionts increase thermal bleaching tolerance of coral juveniles without a trade-off against growth
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	42
utslib.for	04 Earth Sciences
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2024-03-09T21:39:58Z
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	42

Abstract:

Global climate change is threatening the persistence of coral reefs as associated summer heatwaves trigger the loss of microalgal endosymbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) from the coral tissues, or coral bleaching. We infected aposymbiotic juveniles of the coral Acropora tenuis with either wildtype (WT10) or heat-evolved (SS1 or SS8) Symbiodiniaceae strains Cladocopium proliferum (formerly referred to as Cladocopium goreaui and Cladocopium C1acro). After 10 months at 27 °C, SS8-juveniles were 2 × larger than SS1- or WT10-juveniles. In response to a simulated heatwave (31 °C for 41 days), the WT10-juveniles bleached and showed a decline in respiration while cell densities and respiration in both SS-juvenile groups remained unchanged compared to the controls. These results reveal that some heat-evolved strains can increase the bleaching tolerance of juvenile corals without a trade-off against growth. This response is opposite to the lower nutrient provisioning often reported for naturally thermotolerant Symbiodiniaceae (e.g. genus Durusdinium), thereby offering enhanced fitness to the host without the ecological consequences of diminished growth.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176408