Details:

Alternative Title:
Anthropogenic climate change is the biggest threat to coral reefs, but reef restoration efforts are buying time for these ecosystems. Lesion recovery, which can be a determinant of colony survival, is particularly important for restored species. Here, we evaluate lesion recovery of 18 genets of Acropora cervicornis from Florida reefs with different thermal regimes in a temperature challenge experiment. Genets demonstrated significant variability in healing, which greatly slowed under heat stress. Only 35% of fragments healed at 31.5 °C compared to 99% at 28 °C. Donor reef thermal regime significantly influenced lesion recovery under heat stress with corals from warmer reefs demonstrating greater healing than corals from cooler reefs, but did not influence recovery under ambient conditions. These findings should encourage practitioners to utilize rapidly healing genets, avoid fragmentation in high temperatures, and incorporate assisted relocation by moving corals from warmer to cooler reefs, where they might succeed under future climate conditions.
Journal Title:
Coral Reefs
Personal Author:
Kaufman, Madeline L. ; Watkins, Emily ; van Hooidonk, Ruben ; Baker, Andrew C. ; Lirman, Diego
Kaufman, Madeline L. ; Watkins, Emily ; van Hooidonk, Ruben ; Baker, Andrew C. ; Lirman, Diego Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
CIMAS (Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies)
Description:
Anthropogenic climate change is the biggest threat to coral reefs, but reef restoration efforts are buying time for these ecosystems. Lesion recovery, which can be a determinant of colony survival, is particularly important for restored species. Here, we evaluate lesion recovery of 18 genets of Acropora cervicornis from Florida reefs with different thermal regimes in a temperature challenge experiment. Genets demonstrated significant variability in healing, which greatly slowed under heat stress. Only 35% of fragments healed at 31.5 °C compared to 99% at 28 °C. Donor reef thermal regime significantly influenced lesion recovery under heat stress with corals from warmer reefs demonstrating greater healing than corals from cooler reefs, but did not influence recovery under ambient conditions. These findings should encourage practitioners to utilize rapidly healing genets, avoid fragmentation in high temperatures, and incorporate assisted relocation by moving corals from warmer to cooler reefs, where they might succeed under future climate conditions.
Keywords:
[+]
Acropora Cervicornis Climatic Changes Coral Reefs And Islands
Source:
Coral Reefs, 40(2), 289-293
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-020-02025-2
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
Florida
Rights Information:
Accepted Manuscript
Compliance:
Submitted
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:d384968422b5f526c310ff715181a2a1be39b7c5ec34588934aae9ca48bcf40d
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/29997/noaa_29997_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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