Ex Situ Thermal Preconditioning Modulates Coral Physiology and Enhances Heat Tolerance: A Multispecies Perspective for Active Restoration.

ABSTRACT: Global warming threatens reef-building corals by challenging their adaptive capacity. Therefore, interventions such as stress-hardening by thermal preconditioning could become crucial for their survival. This study aimed to systematically assess the effects of distinct thermal preconditioning regimes (stable-high at 29 °C, variable-high at 29 ± 1.5 °C, and stable-ambient control at 26 °C) on the baseline physiology and thermal tolerance of six stony coral species (Galaxea fascicularis, Porites rus, Acropora muricata, Montipora digitata, Pocillopora verrucosa, and Stylophora pistillata) to determine commonalities in the stress-hardening responses that transcend species-specific signatures. For this, we quantified changes in photosynthetic efficiency

SUBMITTER: Ferrara EF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12060272 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature