Coral Reefs最新文献

{"title":"Habitat trumps biogeography in structuring coral reef fishes","authors":"David R. Bellwood, Sterling B. Tebbett","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02556-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02556-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, coral reefs have been the focus of numerous biogeographic analyses. With strong biodiversity gradients across the Indo-Pacific, coral reefs have shed light on the effects of evolutionary history, isolation, and human exploitation on local assemblages. However, there are also strong environmentally driven local gradients in faunal assemblages. We ask, does reef fish community composition and trait space vary to a greater extent across small scales (i.e. along habitat gradients) or across large scales (i.e. across geographic regions separated by up to 12,000 km)? Using a standardized survey method that explicitly includes habitats (i.e. the slope, crest, and flat), we surveyed a highly diverse family of reef fishes (Labridae) in nine regions across the Indo-Pacific, from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to French Polynesia. We demonstrate that small-scale habitat gradients represent a greater axis of variation, in both the taxonomic and trait composition of fish assemblages, than large-scale biogeographic gradients. Indeed, fish assemblages just 10 m apart, along a habitat gradient, appear to differ more than assemblages in the same habitats separated by over 12,000 km along the world’s largest biodiversity gradient. Essentially, fish assemblages cluster by habitat regardless of their biogeographic region, with habitat associations trumping biogeographic affiliations. This emphasizes the primacy of local environmental factors, such as hydrodynamics, in shaping the ecology of reef fishes. It also raises serious concerns over the use of combined datasets, where data from different habitats are used, without explicit recognition, in global-scale analyses.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reef refugia in the aftermath of past episodes of global warming","authors":"Danijela Dimitrijević, Nadia Santodomingo, Wolfgang Kiessling","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02548-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02548-y","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;In the face of rising global temperatures, coral reefs experience coral mass bleaching and mortality. Subtropical and mesophotic environments may represent refugia for reef corals under climate change, where they can survive and eventually recolonize degraded areas. Using a comprehensive database of fossil reefs, we empirically assess the efficacy of subtropical, deeper, and turbid mesophotic environments to restore coral reefs after past global warming events. We focus on tropical coral reefs over the last 275 million years and four rapid climate warming events, which coincided with global reef crises in the geological record. In the aftermath of such hyperthermal events, we observed an increase in the proportions of reefs occurring in deeper (blue) mesophotic environments. Additionally, we found a trend of reef distributions and coral shifting towards higher latitudes. The number of coral occurrences in turbid (brown mesophotic) environments also increased after hyperthermal events. Our results suggest that subtropical, blue, and brown mesophotic environments may have served as immediate refugia for shallow-water coral species escaping warming seawater. While the patterns of reef range shifts and the establishment of blue and brown mesophotic refugia following ancient hyperthermal events provide some hope for coral reefs under current climate change, re-establishement of background reef conditions took most times millions of years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ante el incremento de temperatura global, los arrecifes coralinos están experimentando eventos masivos de blanqueamiento y mortalidad. Los ambientes subtropicales y mesofóticos pueden representar refugios para los corales arrecifales, en los cuales pueden escapar de los efectos del cambio climático, sobrevivir y desde allí recolonizar áreas previamente degradadas. Mediante el uso de una exhaustiva base de datos en arrecifes coralinos, en este estudio se evaluó empíricamente la eficacia de los ambientes subtropicales y mesofóticos, tanto de aguas turbias someras (marrones) como de aguas claras profundas (azules), en la recuperación de arrecifes coralinos después de eventos hipertermales en el pasado. Nuestro enfoque estuvo en los arrecifes coralinos tropicales durante los últimos 275 millones de años y cuatro eventos de calentamiento climático rápido, los cuales coinciden con crisis globales en la ocurrencia de arrecifes en el registro fósil. Como consecuencia de dichos eventos hipertermales, observamos un aumento del número de arrecifes en ambientes mesofóticos de aguas profundas (azules). Además, encontramos una tendencia en la distribución de arrecifes y corales que se desplazan hacia latitudes más altas. También se observó un aumento en el número de corales que estuvieron presentes en ambientes de aguas turbias (marrones) después de dichos eventos hipertermales. Nuestros resultados sugieren que, en el pasado, los ambientes subtropicales, mesofóticos azules y mesofóticos marrones pudieron haber servid","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Habitat partitioning by two coral-dwelling scorpionfishes in Hawai‘i","authors":"Ryan N. Jones","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02559-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02559-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, largely due to the structural complexity created by corals. Coral habitat is crucial refuge for numerous small animals, and competition for habitat can structure populations if in short supply. Reefs in Hawai‘i are largely dominated by the small branching coral <i>Pocillopora meandrina</i>, which supports diverse communities of fishes and invertebrates. Two species of nocturnal scorpionfishes, <i>Sebastapistes coniorta</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>galactacma</i>, are particularly common in <i>P</i>. <i>meandrina</i>, inhabiting the complex branching morphology of their host corals during the day and feeding in and around these corals at night. Surveys of scorpionfishes in 458 <i>P</i>. <i>meandrina</i> between 3 and 22 m deep along the south and west shores of O‘ahu revealed inverse depth distributions over which these species occurred in <i>P</i>. <i>meandrina</i>. <i>Sebastapistes coniorta</i> almost exclusively occurred in coral colonies between 5 and 10 m deep, while <i>S</i>. <i>galactacma</i> were found across all depths surveyed, though were far more common and abundant in deeper coral colonies (15–20 m) below the range of <i>S</i>. <i>coniorta</i>. Further, measurements of host colony morphometrics revealed that these species appeared to use microhabitat in subtly different ways. The larger-bodied species, <i>S</i>. <i>coniorta</i>, was more commonly found in <i>P</i>. <i>meandrina</i> with wider spaces between branches, while the smaller-bodied species was negatively associated with wider branch spacing. These patterns indicate habitat partitioning between <i>S</i>. <i>coniorta</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>galactacma</i> at both the reef and colony scale, which may explain how these species are able to coexist on reefs in Hawai‘i.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lipid composition of coral propagules and reproductive material in coral restoration nurseries","authors":"Christine D. Roper, Jennifer L. Matthews, Emma F. Camp, Matthew P. Padula, Unnikrishnan Kuzhiumparambil, John Edmondson, Lorna Howlett, David J. Suggett","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02553-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02553-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Coral restoration efforts have rapidly increased worldwide, including the development of several programmes on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in recent years. While many restoration programmes utilise in-water nurseries to accelerate coral biomass yields, the impact of nursery environments on propagule quality has not been examined despite the importance of coral fitness for ensuring resistant populations. Here, we investigated two fitness indicators (lipid diversity and tissue protein abundance) of <i>Acropora millepora</i> adults and eggs grown on coral nurseries versus native reef on the GBR, with adults assessed at two sites (Blue Lagoon and Rayban) and eggs assessed at one site (Blue Lagoon). Lipid profiles of adult colonies varied by site and origin (nursery versus wild reef), with adult nursery corals exhibiting an elevated relative abundance of storage lipids (diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols) and lipid classes responsible for regulating membrane structure (phosphatidylcholines and sterol esters), while wild corals were characterised by a greater relative abundance of fatty acids and classes involved in immunoregulation. Comparing eggs from different origins, nursery offspring were richer in energy-storing triacylglycerols, as well as ceramides and phosphatidylcholines essential for membrane structure, while wild eggs had a greater relative abundance of wax ester species also important for energy storage. No differences were found in total protein abundance (adult or eggs) or egg physical characteristics (count and size) between nursery and wild origins. Variations in lipid profiles are consistent with differences in environmental conditions between reef sites and origin (nursery versus wild), highlighting the need to consider site selection and propagation conditions when planning restoration projects. Importantly, these findings demonstrate that the lipid classes with the highest relative abundance in <i>A. millepora</i> nursery and wild eggs differed from those in adults from the same origin, suggesting that propagation origin is more important for driving lipid profiles in coral eggs compared to parental effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Responses of Palythoa caribaeorum and its associated endosymbionts to thermal stress","authors":"Nuba Zamora-Jordán, Pedro Martínez Martínez, Mariano Hernández, Cataixa López","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02549-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02549-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In recent years, several studies have highlighted the high resilience of zoantharians to ocean warming. In particular, populations of <i>Palythoa caribaeorum</i> are proliferating and beginning to dominate the coastal ecosystems of the Canary Islands. This expansion has been associated with increasing sea surface temperatures (SSTs). Here, we provide new insights into the endosymbiont-<i>P. caribaeorum</i> associations during and after a heat stress experiment to understand the processes underlying their high resilience to elevated temperatures. For this purpose, 61 colonies collected in the Canary Islands were exposed to an increasing temperature gradient (from 24 to 32 °C) to assess their heat tolerance, and then transferred back to the control temperature (24 °C) to evaluate their resilience. Colonies performance was assessed by comparing host color changes (bleaching degree), analyzing their Symbiodiniaceae morphological condition, and determining the dominant lineage of Symbiodiniaceae using the psbA_ncr molecular marker. All colonies showed signs of bleaching during heat stress, evidenced by color loss and a decrease in healthy Symbiodiniaceae content. Nevertheless, <i>P. caribaeorum</i> showed high resistance to heat stress, as all colonies kept up to 30 °C were able to survive and significantly recover. Furthermore, as the experimental temperature increased, a new haplotype of the <i>Cladocopium</i> C1 lineage, not detected in the control and wild samples, emerged and dominated most of the colonies (59.09%). Our study demonstrates the resilience of <i>P. caribaeorum</i> to heat stress in the Canary Islands, raising important ecological concerns about the future of native macroalgae ecosystems in an ocean warming scenario.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spawning window and fecundity in three Acroporid corals from the environmentally variable semi-enclosed lagoon of Bouraké","authors":"Cinzia Alessi, Carly J. Randall, Mahe Dumas, Hugues Lemonnier, Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02551-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02551-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The gametogenic cycle in broadcast spawning corals takes several months, with oogenesis culminating in synchronized maturation when seawater temperatures rise. Temperature is known for governing reproductive seasonality, yet little is known about how multiple stressors may affect spawning timing. The semi-enclosed lagoon of Bouraké in New Caledonia is subjected to high fluctuations in seawater temperature, pH, salinity, and oxygen, representing an ideal playground to explore possible effects of extreme environmental variability on coral gametogenesis. Here, the spawning window and fecundity metrics (i.e., colony- and polyp-level fecundity, and egg size) of <i>Acropora tenuis, Montipora digitata</i>, and <i>M. stellata</i> from Bouraké were compared with four reference sites located at variable distances from Bouraké. Results suggest that Bouraké and its nearby control site largely spawned synchronously, but there was a spawning asynchrony between Bouraké and the sites further south, in all three species. Interestingly, no reduction in the number of eggs per fecund polyp or number of fecund polyps was observed in Bouraké compared with the reference sites, in any species. However, <i>A. tenuis</i> and <i>M. digitata</i> had smaller eggs in Bouraké compared to reference sites, with possible repercussions for coral fitness. In conclusion, some reproductive traits are maintained in coral species inhabiting a highly variable environment, but smaller gametes may alter population recovery processes. Furthermore, since our data are limited to 2 yrs of observations, spawning synchronization between Bouraké and its surroundings warrant continued investigation to determine whether coral colonies from this area harbor traits that increase fitness under future climate scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential environment effect on ultrahigh resolution Sr/Ca of giant clam shells from South China Sea","authors":"Chengcheng Liu, Hong Yan, Liqiang Zhao, Nanyu Zhao, Fan Luo, Hanfeng Wen, Haotian Yang, Wei Yang, Jialong Hao, Chengde Liang, Kentaro Tanaka, Naoko Murakami-Sugihara, Kotaro Shirai, Naoto Takahata, John Dodson, Bernd R. Schöne","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02555-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02555-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The hourly to monthly resolution Sr/Ca profiles of modern juvenile giant clam (<i>Tridacna</i> spp.) shells from the northern South China Sea were obtained using ICP-OES, LA-ICP-MS and NanoSIMS. The results showed the variability of Sr/Ca profiles determined by different analytical methods were consistent on monthly time scale. The hourly resolved Sr/Ca determined by NanoSIMS showed pronounced daily cycles which may be associated with the diurnal cycle of the physiology, environment and/or weather condition. By comparison of daily resolution Sr/Ca and contemporaneous instrumental environment data, no robust link was observed between environmental parameters and juvenile <i>Tridacna</i> Sr/Ca, and only weak correlation was found between daily outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) (<i>r</i> = − 0.167, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01) and Sr/Ca. However, the effective solar radiation cannot explain the variability of nightly Sr/Ca, and some other factors are more likely to influence the Sr/Ca of juvenile <i>Tridacna</i>. Moreover, no consistent correlation was observed between Sr/Ca and growth rate of <i>Tridacna</i>. The mechanism of juvenile <i>Tridacna</i> Sr/Ca is still mysterious, conducting artificial culture experiments seems the best way to unravel the mechanisms behind Sr²⁺ incorporation into <i>Tridacna</i> shells.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Day–night expression patterns of opsin genes in the coral Acropora digitifera under natural and LED light conditions","authors":"Zongyan Shi, Ee Suan Tan, Akihiro Takemura","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02558-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02558-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Photoreception is essential to coral growth, reproduction, and stress responses. Thus far, opsin-based photoreception and potential photoadaptation in Scleractinian corals remains unclear. This study used natural and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting to investigate how <i>Acropora digitifera</i>, which is adapted to shallow-water environments, responds to day–night conditions. We successfully cloned three opsin genes (<i>Adopsin1, Adopsin2</i>, and <i>Adopsin3</i>)<i>. Adopsin1</i> and <i>Adopsin2</i> clustered with the Cnidopsins, whereas <i>Adopsin3</i> clustered with the anthozoan-specific opsin I group. In situ hybridization showed positive signals of these genes in coral endodermal and ectodermal layers. When <i>A. digitifera</i> branches were reared under a day–night cycle with natural light, a day-high and night-low pattern was observed in the transcript levels of <i>Adopsin1</i> and <i>Adopsin3.</i> Genes related to calcification [plasma membrane calcium transporting ATPase 2 (<i>PMCA</i>)] and oxygen homeostasis regulation [hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (<i>HIF1α</i>)] showed similar patterns. Rearing of branches under a day–night cycle (photoperiod = 12:12, 26.5–29.3 μmol s⁻¹ m⁻²) with red (<i>λ</i>_max = 628 nm), but not blue (464 nm) or green (519 nm) LED lighting led to increases in transcript levels of <i>Adopsin1</i> and <i>Adopsin3</i> during photophase. The transcript levels of carbonic anhydrase, <i>PMCA</i>, <i>HIFα</i>, and sodium-glucose cotransporter were significantly higher during photophase than during scotophase. Furthermore, <i>Adopsin3</i> upregulation occurred within 4 h of exposure to a red LED light at night. These results suggest that <i>A. digitifera</i> can responding to long wavelengths of light, which play a crucial role in the photophysiology of the coral host. The capacity to perceive red light provides advantages in physiological adaptation and ecological niche occupation by <i>A. digitifera</i> in shallow waters.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cushion sea-star removal enhances coral restoration practices and limits background mortality on recovering reefs","authors":"Matthew Walker, Selma D. Mezger, Aiden Clarke, Igor Pessoa, Johanna Leonhardt, Ahmad Allahgholi, Jamie Craggs, Michael John Sweet","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02550-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02550-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The capacity for natural coral reef recovery and the effectiveness of active restoration efforts are often contingent upon uncertain and understudied background variables, such as chronic predation for example. In the Maldives, small coral colonies (&lt; 10 cm), primarily from the genera <i>Pocillopora</i> and <i>Acropora</i> (often found recolonising degraded reefs) are frequently predated on by the spiny cushion sea-star (<i>Culcita schmideliana</i>). Incidentally, these same corals (especially Acroporids) are often prioritised in active reef restoration practices. However, the level of risk these corallivores pose on restoration success has not yet been assessed. Here, we aimed to initially document the population densities of <i>C. schmideliana</i> on a degraded reef system in the Maldives (Kunfunadhoo, Baa Atoll). We then assessed their associated predatory effects on coral recruits and transplants, and explored the benefits of <i>C. schmideliana</i> removal on the survival of these corals. Population densities ranged between 1.2 and 3.3 individuals per 100 m², which resulted in high predation rates on coral recruits (4 – 20%) and transplants (11 – 43%). <i>Culcita schmideliana</i> predation accounted for the majority of the documented mortality (85%). Where <i>C. schmideliana</i> were removed, a significant increase in survival for recruits (9% higher) and transplants (24% higher) was shown. Further observations linked a cessation of <i>C. schmideliana</i> removal to a significant rise in predation instances for previously protected corals (up to 52%). Our study therefore highlights the severe impacts of <i>C. schmideliana</i> predation and shows <i>Culcita</i> spp. population management as a viable passive solution for effective reef restoration.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"09 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Induced sexual reproduction ex situ reveals bidirectional sex change of the coral Montastraea cavernosa","authors":"Krista V. Laforest, Chelsea G. Petrik, Ashlee A. Hylton, Rachel L. Ionata, E. Murphy McDonald, Morgan L. Short, Joana Figueiredo","doi":"10.1007/s00338-024-02546-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02546-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Induction of gonad maturation and synchronized spawning of corals ex situ has been mostly used to propagate corals for restoration, but it also provides a unique opportunity to study the reproductive biology of species. We present, for the first time, the induction of gonad maturation and synchronous spawning of the coral <i>Montastraea cavernosa</i> in a laboratory. This was achieved by mimicking the annual temperature, sun and moon cycles experienced in the northern portion of Florida’s Coral Reef. Similarly to field observations, peak spawning of <i>M. cavernosa</i> colonies in the laboratory occurred 5–10 nights after the full moons of July, August, and/or September, 75–125 min after sunset. This coral species was known as gonochoric, meaning colonies are either females (release eggs) or males (release sperm). Yet, three consecutive years observing the same colonies ex situ revealed that these corals are capable of changing sexes annually, and they can do so in both directions. Spawning observations and histology showed corals shifting from male to female, others shifting from female to male, and several changing sex one year and reverting to their original sex in the following year. The sex change was not related to size, nor likely socially driven. A greater number of colonies was observed to shift from female to male when food provision was reduced. Further studies are required to determine if food availability drives sex change in this species.</p>","PeriodicalId":10821,"journal":{"name":"Coral Reefs","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142181508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}