Widespread variation in heat tolerance and symbiont load are associated with growth tradeoffs in the coral Acropora hyacinthus in Palau

eLife

Nia S Walker¹  Marilla Lippert¹  Katrina Armstrong¹  Stephen R Palumbi¹  Brendan Cornwell¹  Yimnang Golbuu²  Victor Nestor² 

[1] Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, United States;Palau International Coral Reef Center, Koror, Palau;

关键词: Acropora hyacinthus;    bleaching resistance;    fitness tradeoffs;    local adaptation;    Other;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.64790

来源: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

【 摘 要 】

Climate change is dramatically changing ecosystem composition and productivity, leading scientists to consider the best approaches to map natural resistance and foster ecosystem resilience in the face of these changes. Here, we present results from a large-scale experimental assessment of coral bleaching resistance, a critical trait for coral population persistence as oceans warm, in 221 colonies of the coral Acropora hyacinthus across 37 reefs in Palau. We find that bleaching-resistant individuals inhabit most reefs but are found more often in warmer microhabitats. Our survey also found wide variation in symbiont concentration among colonies, and that colonies with lower symbiont load tended to be more bleaching-resistant. By contrast, our data show that low symbiont load comes at the cost of lower growth rate, a tradeoff that may operate widely among corals across environments. Corals with high bleaching resistance have been suggested as a source for habitat restoration or selective breeding in order to increase coral reef resilience to climate change. Our maps show where these resistant corals can be found, but the existence of tradeoffs with heat resistance may suggest caution in unilateral use of this one trait in restoration.

【 授权许可】

CC BY