Biotic stress contributes to seawater temperature induced stress in a site-specific manner for Porites astreoides

Haslun, Joshua A.; Hauff-Salas, Briana; Strychar, Kevin B.; Ostrom, Nathaniel E.; Cervino, James M.

doi:10.1007/s00227-018-3414-z

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…the comparatively more environmentally dynamic inshore locations, including those along the FRT, are more resilient to stressors than offshore communities [47][48][49][50][51]. The mechanisms underlying these localized adaptations are not well understood due to the complex mutualistic interactions of the coral holobiont with the environment.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the small-scale epidemiology of the stony-coral -tissue-loss-disease in the middle Florida Keys

et al. 2020

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Along the Florida reef tract, stony-coral-tissue-loss disease (SCTLD) has caused extensive mortality of more than 20 scleractinian coral species. The pathogen is unknown, but its epizoology indicates that the disease, facilitated by water currents, has progressed linearly along the tract, affecting reefs at the scale of hundreds of kilometers. To inform ongoing disease mitigation efforts, we examined the small-scale spatial and temporal epidemiology of SCTLD. We established a series of sites in the middle Florida Keys at offshore and inshore locations that had not yet shown signs of SCTLD. We then conducted high-frequency monitoring from February 2018 through September 2019 and documented the onset of SCTLD and its progression through the sites. SCTLD was first observed at one site during early February 2018 and by early March 2018 all sites showed signs of the disease. A dynamic multistate model suggested that disease transmission was independent of coral density and found little evidence of a positive association between a colony showing signs of SCTLD and the condition or distance to its neighboring colonies. The model did, however, indicate that the probability of a colony showing signs of SCTLD increased with increasing colony surface area. These results are consistent with the water-borne transmission of a pathogen that progressed rapidly through the survey area. However, by the end of our survey the progression of SCTLD had slowed, particularly at inshore sites. Many affected colonies no longer exhibited progressive tissue mortality typical of the disease, suggesting the existence of differentially resilient colonies or coral communities, meriting their use for future coral rescue and propagation and disease research. These results are useful for refining ongoing SCTLD mitigation strategies, particularly by determining when disease rates are sufficiently low for direct intervention efforts designed to arrest disease progression on individual coral colonies will be most effective.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the small-scale epidemiology of the stony-coral -tissue-loss-disease in the middle Florida Keys

et al. 2020

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“…However, according to the hypothesis laid out by Harvell et al [15] and evidence supplied by others [65,68,69], the offshore sites warmer winter SWT's alone fails to explain the accumulation of TLR compatible molecular patterns and the resulting activation of the immune system in the offshore relative to the inshore. Additionally, exposure of these same coral fragments from this study to increased temperature (32 • C) and lipopolysaccharide (5 µg mL −1 ) indicated that corals collected from offshore sites activated the innate immune system to a greater degree than the inshore sites [28]. Corals transplanted to the offshore site likely encountered more immune activating compounds and displayed significant upregulation of TRAF3 relative to the control treatment (28 • C), whereas response in offshore corals was similar to the control and significantly lower than that of the inshore site.…”

Section: Activation Of Host Coral Immune Pathways: Traf3 Expressionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Contrary to this expectation, the abundance of Porites astreoides colonies and other species of corals is considerably lower at offshore sites of the FRT than at inshore sites of the FRT. Moreover, the mean colony diameter of this and other species at inshore reefs (16 cm) is half that of offshore reefs (8 cm) [28], and colonies ≥ 40 cm in diameter have only been reported among inshore reefs [14,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…Despite its capacity for acclimating to heat stress, Porites astreoides experiences greater decreased growth rates in response to thermal stress variations [23]. That is, temperatures that fluctuate by more than one degree centigrade (i.e., at inshore reefs) over the course of one season vs. smaller incremental changes in temperature (i.e., offshore reefs) dictate growth rates in Porites astreoides [28]. Hence, increased thermal stress is more likely experienced by corals inhabiting inshore sites and healthier populations would be predicted at the offshore reefs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in Immune-Related Gene Expression Provides Evidence of Local Adaptation in Porites astreoides (Lamarck, 1816) between Inshore and Offshore Meta-Populations Inhabiting the Lower Florida Reef Tract, USA

Haslun

Hauff-Salas

Strychar

et al. 2021

Water

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Coral communities of the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) have changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Coral cover throughout the FRT is disproportionately distributed; >70% of total coral cover is found within the inshore patch reef zone (<2 km from shore) compared to 30% found within the offshore bank reef zone (>5 km from shore). Coral mortality from disease has been differentially observed between inshore and offshore reefs along the FRT. Therefore, differences between the response of inshore and offshore coral populations to bacterial challenge may contribute to differences in coral cover. We examined immune system activation in Porites astreoides (Lamarck, 1816), a species common in both inshore and offshore reef environments in the FRT. Colonies from a representative inshore and offshore site were reciprocally transplanted and the expression of three genes monitored biannually for two years (two summer and two winter periods). Variation in the expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3, subunit H (eIF3H), an indicator of cellular stress in Porites astreoides, did not follow annual patterns of seawater temperatures (SWT) indicating the contribution of other stressors (e.g., irradiance). Greater expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor 3 (TRAF3), a signaling protein of the inflammatory response, was observed among corals transplanted to, or located within the offshore environment indicating that an increased immune response is associated with offshore coral more so than the inshore coral (p < 0.001). Corals collected from the offshore site also upregulated the expression of adenylyl cyclase associated protein 2 (ACAP2), increases which are associated with decreasing innate immune system inflammatory responses, indicating a counteractive response to increased stimulation of the innate immune system. Activation of the innate immune system is a metabolically costly survival strategy. Among the two reefs studied, the offshore population had a smaller mean colony size and decreased colony abundance compared to the inshore site. This correlation suggests that tradeoffs may exist between the activation of the innate immune system and survival and growth. Consequently, immune system activation may contribute to coral community dynamics and declines along the FRT.

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“…In-shore reefs have lower frequencies of disease and mortality, are more resilient displaying high tolerance to even the most extreme bleaching events, and recover more quickly from stress than off-shore reefs (Kenkel et al, 2013;Manzello et al, 2015;Gintert et al, 2018;Rippe et al, 2019;Sharp et al, 2020). Resilience may play a role in the ability of corals to resist pathogens present as physiologic stress is linked to decreased ability of recovery, immune function, and can alter gene expression (Bruno et al, 2007;Muller et al, 2008;Brandt and McManus, 2009a;Kenkel and Matz, 2016;Haslun et al, 2018;Fuess et al, 2020).…”

Section: Sctld: What We Knowmentioning

confidence: 99%

Education and Research: A Symbiosis to Better Understand a Novel Coral Disease

Soper

2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Ongoing ecological events, such as new and emerging diseases, provide an important platform for education and research. Field courses and undergraduate research projects can be critical to assisting students with learning scientific skills and career discernment as these experiences provide more one-on-one instruction and an immersive learning environment. A novel coral disease called “Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease” (SCTLD) provided one such opportunity. SCTLD is characterized by rapid progression with entire coral heads dying within 2–3 weeks after initial observation of the onset of symptoms. At a wider geographic scale, the disease has migrated with extreme velocity and has now been documented across the Caribbean from as far North as the Southeast Florida Reef Tract, as far South as St. Lucia, and as far West as Honduras and Belize. Here, I summarize what is currently known about SCTLD and document an educational field course that involved eight undergraduate students with visits to multiple locations along the Florida Keys Reef Tract during the disease progression in March 2019. Students were able to observe sites where SCTLD had been present for over 2 years and sites where the disease was only just emerging for observational comparison. Student educational outcomes from field trips and activities will be discussed. Current research and educational activities can interact to enhance each other, creating a positive feedback loop. Future directions for research, educational opportunities, and their interaction to accelerate understanding of this novel disease are discussed.

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Biotic stress contributes to seawater temperature induced stress in a site-specific manner for Porites astreoides

Cited by 11 publications

References 67 publications

Evaluating the small-scale epidemiology of the stony-coral -tissue-loss-disease in the middle Florida Keys

Evaluating the small-scale epidemiology of the stony-coral -tissue-loss-disease in the middle Florida Keys

Variation in Immune-Related Gene Expression Provides Evidence of Local Adaptation in Porites astreoides (Lamarck, 1816) between Inshore and Offshore Meta-Populations Inhabiting the Lower Florida Reef Tract, USA

Education and Research: A Symbiosis to Better Understand a Novel Coral Disease

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