Corals adapted to extreme and fluctuating seawater pH increase calcification rates and have unique symbiont communities.

ABSTRACT: Ocean acidification (OA) is a severe threat to coral reefs mainly by reducing their calcification rate. Identifying the resilience factors of corals to decreasing seawater pH is of paramount importance to predict the survivability of coral reefs in the future. This study compared corals adapted to variable pH_T (i.e., 7.23-8.06) from the semi-enclosed lagoon of Bouraké, New Caledonia, to corals adapted to more stable seawater pH_T (i.e., 7.90-8.18). In a 100-day aquarium experiment, we examined the physiological response and genetic diversity of Symbiodiniaceae from three coral species (Acropora tenuis, Montipora digitata, and Porites sp.) from both sites under three stable pH_NBS conditions (8.11, 7.76, 7.54) and one fluctuating pH_NB

SUBMITTER: Tanvet C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10227177 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature