Reciprocal-transplantation between shallow and mesophotic stony corals

Raz Tamir, Or Ben-Zvi, Gal Eyal, Netanel Kramer, Yossi Loya

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Most studies to date on the various life-history aspects of scleractinian corals (e.g. reproduction, connectivity, and physiology) have focused on their innate habitats. However, comprehensive data on the ability of both shallow and mesophotic corals to contend in the coming decades with the different environmental conditions they may encounter due to new habitats or environmental changes (e.g. eutrophication), are scarce. Long-term cross-transplantation experiments assessing the potential responses and acclimatization ability of corals are thus needed in order to expand our knowledge. Here we examined the survivorship and changes in the photobiological acclimatization of corals following their cross-transplantation between two different depths (5–10 m and 45 m) and two sites characterized by different abiotic conditions (i.e. light, nutrient, and sedimentation regime). This year-long in-situ experiment was performed on five depth-generalist coral species. Depth of origin and the species’ particular morphology were found to be the strongest predictors of survivorship. Physiological responses occurred mainly among those corals that had been translocated from deep-to-shallow water, and were expressed in a significant reduction in chlorophyll-a concentration and algal density, as well as changes in photosynthetic parameters (e.g. minimal/maximal saturating points, Ek and Em, and rETRmax). Our study contributes to a better assessment of the physiological and ecological consequences of corals under acute and long-term environmental perturbations and their endurance abilities.

Original languageEnglish
Article number105035
JournalMarine Environmental Research
Volume161
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Funding

R.T., O.B.Z., G.E., and Y.L. initiated and planned the study. R.T., O.B.Z and G.E. conducted all the experiment stages, and R.T., O.B.Z. and N.K. analyzed the data. R.T. and N.K. generated the figures and performed the different forms of data presentation. The first draft text was written by R.T. All authors commented on the manuscript at all stages and gave final approval for publication. This project was funded by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) Grant No. 1191/16 to YL, by the Ministry of Science, Technology & Space doctoral fellowship grant agreement No. 3-18487 to OBZ, and by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 796025 to GE. R.T., O.B.Z., G.E., and Y.L. initiated and planned the study. R.T., O.B.Z and G.E. conducted all the experiment stages, and R.T., O.B.Z. and N.K. analyzed the data. R.T. and N.K. generated the figures and performed the different forms of data presentation. The first draft text was written by R.T. All authors commented on the manuscript at all stages and gave final approval for publication. This project was funded by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) Grant No. 1191/16 to YL, by the Ministry of Science, Technology & Space doctoral fellowship grant agreement No. 3-18487 to OBZ, and by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 796025 to GE.

FundersFunder number
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions796025
Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning3-18487
Israel Science Foundation1191/16
Horizon 2020

    Keywords

    • Corals reefs
    • Light
    • Mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCEs)
    • Photoacclimation
    • Photosynthesis
    • Transplantation

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