Impacts of light limitation on corals and crustose coralline algae.

ABSTRACT: Turbidity associated with elevated suspended sediment concentrations can significantly reduce underwater light availability. Understanding the consequences for sensitive organisms such as corals and crustose coralline algae (CCA), requires an understanding of tolerance levels and the time course of effects. Adult colonies of Acropora millepora and Pocillopora acuta, juvenile P. acuta, and the CCA Porolithon onkodes were exposed to six light treatments of ~0, 0.02, 0.1, 0.4, 1.1 and 4.3 mol photons m^-2 d^-1, and their physiological responses were monitored over 30 d. Exposure to very low light (<0.1 mol photons m^-2 d^-1) caused tissue discoloration (bleaching) in the corals, and discolouration (and partial mortality) of the CCA, yielding 30 d EI

SUBMITTER: Bessell-Browne P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5599546 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature