Seasonal changes in coral thermal threshold suggest species-specific strategies for coping with temperature variations.

ABSTRACT: Coral thermotolerance research has focused on the ability of coral holobionts to maximize withstanding thermal stress exposure. Yet, it's unclear whether thermal thresholds adjust across seasons or remain constant for a given species and location. Here, we assessed the thermal tolerance thresholds over time spanning the annual temperature variation in the Red Sea for Pocillopora verrucosa and Acropora spp. colonies. Utilizing  the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS), we conducted standardized acute thermal assays by exposing corals to a range of temperatures (30 to 39 °C) and measuring their photosynthetic efficiency (F_v/F_m). Our results reveal species-specific thermal tolerance patterns. P. verrucosa exhibited significant seasonal changes in their thermal

SUBMITTER: Garcia FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11659276 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature