Bleaching susceptibility and mortality of corals are determined by fine-scale differences in symbiont type.

ABSTRACT: Coral bleaching has been identified as one of the major contributors to coral reef decline, and the occurrence of different symbionts determined by broad genetic groupings (clades A-H) is commonly used to explain thermal responses of reef-building corals. By using Stylophora pistillata as a model, we monitored individual tagged colonies in situ over a two-year period and show that fine level genetic variability within clade C is correlated to differences in bleaching susceptibility. Based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the internal transcribed spacer region 2, visual bleaching assessments, symbiont densities, host protein, and pulse amplitude modulated fluorometry, we show that subcladal types C78 and C8/a are more thermally tolerant than C79 and C35/a, which suffered signif

SUBMITTER: Sampayo EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2492480 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature