Potential local adaptation of corals at acidified and warmed Nikko Bay, Palau.

ABSTRACT: Ocean warming and acidification caused by increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide are now thought to be major threats to coral reefs on a global scale. Here we evaluated the environmental conditions and benthic community structures in semi-closed Nikko Bay at the inner reef area in Palau, which has high pCO₂ and seawater temperature conditions with high zooxanthellate coral coverage. Nikko Bay is a highly sheltered system with organisms showing low connectivity with surrounding environments, making this bay a unique site for evaluating adaptation and acclimatization responses of organisms to warmed and acidified environments. Seawater pCO₂/Ω_arag showed strong gradation ranging from 380 to 982 µatm (Ω_arag: 1.79-3.66), and benthic coverage, includi

SUBMITTER: Kurihara H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8159998 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature