Corals from the Persian/Arabian Gulf as models for thermotolerant reef-builders: Prevalence of clade C3 Symbiodinium, host fluorescence and ex situ temperature tolerance

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:72

Article

Hume, B.¹  D'Angelo, C.¹  Burt, J.²  Baker, A. C.³  Riegl, B.⁴  Wiedenmann, J.¹ 

[1] Univ Southampton, Southampton NOCS, Natl Oceanog Ctr, Southampton SO14 3ZH, Hants, England

[2] New York Univ Abu Dhabi, Dept Biol, Abu Dhabi, U Arab Emirates

[3] Univ Miami, Rosenstiel Sch Marine & Atmospher Sci, Div Marine Biol & Fisheries, Miami, FL 33149 USA

[4] Nova SE Univ, Oceanog Ctr, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33004 USA

关键词: Coral reefs;    Global warming;    Bleaching;    Zooxanthellae;    Green fluorescent protein;    Heat stress;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.11.032

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Corals in the Arabian/Persian Gulf endure summer temperatures of up to 36 degrees C, making them ideal subjects to study the mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance. Unexpectedly, we found the generalist Symbiodinium clade C3 to be the prevalent symbiont among seven coral species from Abu Dhabi (UAE) waters. Moreover, C3 represented the only dominant symbiont type in Porites spp. from this region. The thermotolerant symbionts D1a and C15 were not encountered, indicating that the association with these symbionts cannot be the sole reason for the heat tolerance of Gulf corals. The association of Porites lobata with specific symbiont types (C3 vs. C15) in samples from habitats with very different temperature regimes (Abu Dhabi vs. Fiji) remained unaffected by laboratory culture. During temperature stress experiments specimens from both locations strongly downregulated green fluorescent protein (GFP)-like pigments. However, the Abu Dhabi samples were less prone to bleaching and showed lower mortality. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free