Fast Growth May Impair Regeneration Capacity in the Branching Coral Acropora muricata

Denis, Vianney; Guillaume, Mireille M. M.; Goutx, Madeleine; Palmas, Stéphane De; Debreuil, Julien; Baker, Andrew C.; Boonstra, Roxane K.; Bruggemann, J. Henrich

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072618

Cited by 28 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…HCF are already-regenerated corals whose energy could be invested in other processes such growth F I G U R E 5 Temporal variation in mean attachment success, vertical growth, horizontal growth and survival proportion recorded on recently broken corals (black bars) and healed coral fragments (gray bars) during the rainy and dry seasons. Vertical lines indicate SD and reproduction as has been shown in other ramose corals such as Acropora muricata from the Indian Ocean (Denis et al, 2013). Thus, the present results suggest that an initial stimulus by breakage may activate mechanisms that lead to BCF attaching more quickly onto a substratum than HCF.…”

Section: Attachment Of Coral Transplantssupporting

confidence: 79%

“…In our study, this property was exploited as a possible advantage in using BCF versus HCF. HCF are already‐regenerated corals whose energy could be invested in other processes such growth and reproduction as has been shown in other ramose corals such as Acropora muricata from the Indian Ocean (Denis et al., ). Thus, the present results suggest that an initial stimulus by breakage may activate mechanisms that lead to BCF attaching more quickly onto a substratum than HCF.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders

Nava

Figueroa-Camacho

2017

Marine Ecology

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The use of two types of coral transplants on rock boulders was evaluated as a low‐cost alternative for rehabilitation of live coral coverage in localities whose reef structure has been reduced considerably. Transplant success between recently broken coral fragments (BCF) and healed coral fragments (HCF) was compared assuming that initial fragmentation accelerates the attachment of corals by regeneration stimulation. Two sets of both types of transplants were started during the dry and rainy seasons to contrast the effect of environmental stability on transplant survival, vertical growth and horizontal growth over 12 months. The technique provided adequate conditions for coral development, as transplants responded satisfactorily. BCF showed higher success than HCF in attaching to the substrate (up to 98 ± 4% versus 86.4 ± 18.9% after 9 months) during both seasons and also showed a greater increase in height (209.63 ± 43.65% versus 124 ± 15.83%) and diameter (107.26 ± 25.75% versus 99.98 ± 19.74%) during the rainy season. Boat anchorage caused mortality in transplants started during the dry season (less than 10% for BCF versus 37.2% for HCF) while the impact of Hurricane Polo in October 2014 caused higher mortality in transplants started during the rainy season (up to 55%). We conclude that (i) coral transplantation on rock boulders is a good choice to restore damaged coral communities, (ii) BCF seems to be the best source of transplants for pocilloporid corals, and (iii) although high light availability during the rainy season enhances transplant growth, the stable, low energy conditions in the dry season facilitate initial transplant attachment and high survival.

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Section: Attachment Of Coral Transplantssupporting

confidence: 79%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders

Nava

Figueroa-Camacho

2017

Marine Ecology

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“…Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, for example species, colony morphology, genotype, wound characteristics and environmental factors, are known to affect the regeneration capacity of corals (Henry & Hart ; Denis et al . ), providing possible explanations for the much more rapid regeneration observed in this study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Near‐complete wound healing and restored Symbiodinium ‐related pigmentation was observed after 10 days following artificially induced injuries in A. aspera , which contrasts with the slower regeneration times of 60 days to up to 19 months previously reported for other scleractinian corals (Bak & Steward‐van Es ; Bak ; Meesters & Bak ; van Woesik ; Denis et al . ; Horwitz & Fine ). Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, for example species, colony morphology, genotype, wound characteristics and environmental factors, are known to affect the regeneration capacity of corals (Henry & Hart ; Denis et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The coral immune response facilitates protection against microbes during tissue regeneration

et al. 2015

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Increasing physical damage on coral reefs from predation, storms and anthropogenic disturbances highlights the need to understand the impact of injury on the coral immune system. In this study, we examined the regulation of the coral immune response over 10 days following physical trauma artificially inflicted on in situ colonies of the coral Acropora aspera, simultaneously with bacterial colonization of the lesions. Corals responded to injury by increasing the expression of immune system-related genes involved in the Toll-like and NOD-like receptor signalling pathways and the lectin-complement system in three phases (<2, 4 and 10 days post-injury). Phenoloxidase activity was also significantly upregulated in two phases (<3 and 10 days post-injury), as were levels of non-fluorescent chromoprotein. In addition, green fluorescent protein expression was upregulated in response to injury from 4 days post-injury, while cyan fluorescent protein expression was reduced. No shifts in the composition of coral-associated bacterial communities were evident following injury based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing. Bacteria-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization also showed no evidence of bacterial colonization of the wound or regenerating tissues. Coral tissues showed near-complete regeneration of lesions within 10 days. This study demonstrates that corals exhibit immune responses that support rapid recovery following physical injury, maintain coral microbial homeostasis and prevent bacterial infestation that may compromise coral fitness.

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Tolerance to a highly variable environment does not infer resilience to future ocean warming and acidification in a branching coral

Rathbone

Brown

Dove

2021

Limnology & Oceanography

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Coral populations from reef habitats that experience extreme daily abiotic fluctuations have been suggested as candidates to survive and proliferate under future climate change. Few studies, however, have exposed corals from dynamic environments to the synergistic effects of ocean warming and acidification to investigate whether tolerance of present‐day environmental variability is maintained under future climate stress. This study assessed the impact of RCP2.6 (+0.8°C and +25 ppm) and RCP4.5 (+1.3°C and +66 ppm) ocean warming and acidification on the survivorship, primary calcification (i.e., extension), secondary calcification (i.e., densification), and protein densities of Isopora palifera originating from two distinct reef habitats (abiotically variable reef flat vs. stable reef slope) over 9 weeks. Temperature and pCO2 were offset from a reef slope baseline temperature of 26.0°C ± 0.6°C and pCO2 concentration of 559 ± 56 ppm, incorporating natural diurnal variability. A trade‐off was observed in I. palifera originating from the reef flat, which significantly increased tissue protein densities but reduced densification relative to corals from the reef slope. Survivorship nor extension rates differed between corals originating from the variable or stable reef habitats. Mortality increased under RCP4.5 as extension rates increased, indicating that energetic investment in skeletal expansion becomes unsustainable under future climate stress. Increasing temperature and CO2 reduced calcification rates irrespective of the corals originating reef habitat suggesting with future climate change, exposure to greater environmental variability may not benefit coral calcification. These results demonstrate that tolerance to present‐day abiotic variability does not necessarily infer resilience to moderate future ocean warming and acidification conditions.

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Fast Growth May Impair Regeneration Capacity in the Branching Coral Acropora muricata

Cited by 28 publications

References 55 publications

Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders

Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders

The coral immune response facilitates protection against microbes during tissue regeneration

Tolerance to a highly variable environment does not infer resilience to future ocean warming and acidification in a branching coral

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