Photoacclimation, growth and distribution of massive coral species in clear and turbid waters

Marine Ecology Progress Series

Sebastian J. Hennige¹  David J. Smith¹  Mireille Consalvey¹  David M. Paterson¹  David J. Suggett¹  Rupert Perkins¹ 

关键词: Chlorophyll a fluorescence;    Zooxanthellae;    PAM;    Photoacclimation;    Massive coral;    Indo-Pacific;   

DOI  :  10.3354/meps07612

学科分类：海洋学与技术

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: Massive coral species play a key role in coral reef ecosystems, adding significantly to physical integrity, long term stability and reef biodiversity. This study coupled the assessment of the distribution and abundance of 4 dominant massive coral species, Diploastrea heliopora, Favia speciosa, F. matthaii and Porites lutea, with investigations into species-specific photoacclimatory responses within the Wakatobi Marine National Park of southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, to determine the potential of photoacclimation to be a driver of biological success. For this, rapid light curves using pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) chlorophyll a fluorescence techniques were employed with additional manipulations to circumvent differences of light quality and absorption between species and across environmental gradients. P. lutea was examined over a range of depths and sites to determine patterns of photoacclimation, and all 4 species were assessed at a single depth between sites for which long-term data for coral community structure and growth existed. Light availability was more highly constrained with depth than between sites; consequently, photoacclimation patterns for P. lutea appeared greater with depth than across environmental gradients. All 4 species were found to differentially modify the extent of non-photochemical quenching to maintain a constant photochemical operating efficiency (qP). Therefore, our results suggest that these massive corals photoacclimate to ensure a constant light-dependent rate of reduction of the plastoquinone pool across growth environments.

【 授权许可】

Unknown