Photosynthetic response of Persian Gulf acroporid corals to summer versus winter temperature deviations.

ABSTRACT: With on-going climate change, coral susceptibility to thermal stress constitutes a central concern in reefconservation. In the Persian Gulf, coral reefs are confronted with a high seasonal variability in water temperature, and both hot and cold extremes have been associated with episodes of coral bleaching and mortality. Using physiological performance as a measure of coral health, we investigated the thermal susceptibility of the common acroporid, Acropora downingi, near Hengam Island where the temperature oscillates seasonally in the range 20.2-34.2 °C. In a series of two short-term experiments comparing coral response in summer versus winter conditions, we exposed corals during each season (1) to the corresponding seasonal average and extreme temperature levels in a static thermal envir

SUBMITTER: Vajed Samiei J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4493696 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature