Effects of thermal conditioning on the performance of Pocillopora acuta adult coral colonies and their offspring.

ABSTRACT: Ocean warming induced by climate change is the greatest threat to the persistence of coral reefs globally. Given the current rate of ocean warming, there may not be sufficient time for natural acclimation or adaptation by corals. This urgency has led to the exploration of active management techniques aimed at enhancing thermal tolerance in corals. Here, we test the capacity for transgenerational acclimation in the reef-building coral Pocillopora acuta as a means of increasing offspring performance in warmer waters. We exposed coral colonies from a reef influenced by intermittent upwelling and constant warm-water effluent from a nuclear power plant to temperatures that matched (26 °C) or exceeded (29.5 °C) season-specific mean temperatures for three reproductive cycles; offspring wer

SUBMITTER: McRae CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8550305 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature