Antioxidant boost to corals to endure thermal stress as a climate change scenario

Dorantes-Aranda, JJ; Camp, E; Matthews, J; Keaney, D; Moorhead, J; Kimberley, D; Doble, P; Ferrier-Pages, C

Antioxidant boost to corals to endure thermal stress as a climate change scenario

Dorantes-Aranda, JJ Camp, E Matthews, J Keaney, D

Moorhead, J Kimberley, D Doble, P Ferrier-Pages, C

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Publisher:: Copernicus Publications
Publication Type:: Other
Citation:: 2025
Issue Date:: 2025-03-25

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Dorantes-Aranda, JJ
dc.contributor.author	Camp, E
dc.contributor.author	Matthews, J
dc.contributor.author	Keaney, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2482-8331
dc.contributor.author	Moorhead, J
dc.contributor.author	Kimberley, D
dc.contributor.author	Doble, P
dc.contributor.author	Ferrier-Pages, C
dc.date.accessioned	2026-01-19T05:19:31Z
dc.date.available	2026-01-19T05:19:31Z
dc.date.issued	2025-03-25
dc.identifier.citation	2025
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/192012
dc.description.abstract	Climate change has compromised large areas of coral reefs around the world due to raising temperatures and the arrival of heat waves. These conditions create an uncontrolled production of the so-called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that attack the tissues of corals, as well as the loss of the symbiont microalgae, which are the main source of energy to the coral, leading to mass bleaching events and coral death. Some species of microalgae produce ROS scavengers de novo, such as antioxidants, that can destroy these harmful compounds. Additionally, many antioxidants are commercially available in their purified form; however, the way of delivery as feed is crucial given their fast degradation rates due to their unstable chemical properties. Here we discuss our results of challenging the coral species Stylophora pistillata to thermal stress scenarios while providing them with antioxidant protection using two approaches, protection through the food web and environmentally in the surrounding water. S. pistillata was fed with Artemia salina, which was first fed with microalgae and antioxidant-enriched pellets, using vitamin C and E, fucoxanthin, astaxanthin and curcumin. The environmental antioxidant protection of the same five compounds was tested by preparing composites containing the antioxidants. These findings will contribute to strengthening the resilience of fragile coral species as well as protecting and restoring reef biodiversity.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Copernicus Publications
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.5194/oos2025-1063
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Antioxidant boost to corals to endure thermal stress as a climate change scenario
dc.type	Other
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-01-19T05:19:30Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Climate change has compromised large areas of coral reefs around the world due to raising temperatures and the arrival of heat waves. These conditions create an uncontrolled production of the so-called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that attack the tissues of corals, as well as the loss of the symbiont microalgae, which are the main source of energy to the coral, leading to mass bleaching events and coral death. Some species of microalgae produce ROS scavengers de novo, such as antioxidants, that can destroy these harmful compounds. Additionally, many antioxidants are commercially available in their purified form; however, the way of delivery as feed is crucial given their fast degradation rates due to their unstable chemical properties. Here we discuss our results of challenging the coral species Stylophora pistillata to thermal stress scenarios while providing them with antioxidant protection using two approaches, protection through the food web and environmentally in the surrounding water. S. pistillata was fed with Artemia salina, which was first fed with microalgae and antioxidant-enriched pellets, using vitamin C and E, fucoxanthin, astaxanthin and curcumin. The environmental antioxidant protection of the same five compounds was tested by preparing composites containing the antioxidants. These findings will contribute to strengthening the resilience of fragile coral species as well as protecting and restoring reef biodiversity.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/192012