Strong horizontal and vertical connectivity in the coral Pocillopora verrucosa from Ludao, Taiwan, a small oceanic island

Palmas, Stéphane De; Soto, Derek; Ho, Margaret S.; Denis, Vianney; Chen, Chaolun Allen

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0258181

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 90 publications

(101 reference statements)

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“…One of the scleractinian genera whose connectivity is relatively well documented is the genus Pocillopora (e.g. De Palmas et al., 2021; Gélin, Fauvelot, et al., 2017; Gélin, Pirog, et al., 2018; Magalon et al., 2005; Oury et al., 2020, 2021; Ridgway et al., 2008; Robitzch et al., 2015; Souter et al., 2009; Torres et al., 2020). Its colonies, abundantly distributed throughout the Indo‐Pacific and the Red Sea, are the main bioconstructors in some reefs (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Same places, same stories? Genomics reveals similar structuring and demographic patterns for four Pocillopora coral species in the southwestern Indian Ocean

Oury,

Mona,

Magalon

2023

Journal of Biogeography

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AimEfficiently protecting species requires knowing their ecological, life‐history and reproductive traits. This is particularly decisive for scleractinian corals, key components of coral reefs, which are experiencing critical declines. Yet their connectivity remains insufficiently documented. Here, we focused on four distinct species of the coral genus Pocillopora found in diverse habitats of the southwestern Indian Ocean and presenting various reproductive strategies. We aimed to understand whether these traits affect species connectivity.LocationArchipelagos and islands of the southwestern Indian Ocean.TaxonPocillopora spp.MethodsWe used target capture to collect single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from over a thousand colonies sampled across nine localities. From the ca. 1400 SNPs retained per species, Bayesian clustering methods, networks and demographic inferences were applied to first infer the population genetic structure and connectivity of each species, then the demographic history of each population.ResultsAll four Pocillopora species exhibited almost the same genetic structuring pattern, reflecting the sampled ecoregions (Madagascar and surrounding islands vs. Mascarene Islands). However, the genetic differentiation was stronger (FST about 10 times higher) for P. acuta, the species inhabiting more enclosed habitats, such as lagoons and shallow waters, and reproducing mainly asexually. Similarly, all populations, except those from P. acuta, showed a signature of population expansion ca. 100,000 years ago, following the penultimate glacial period.Main ConclusionsThese results indicate reduced gene flow between Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands, probably linked to currents, suggesting distinct connectivity networks that should be considered independently when setting up conservation plans. In addition, shared demographic histories reflect that populations from these species have probably met the same environmental constraints and reacted similarly, something that should be considered in light of the ongoing rapid climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Same places, same stories? Genomics reveals similar structuring and demographic patterns for four Pocillopora coral species in the southwestern Indian Ocean

Oury,

Mona,

Magalon

2023

Journal of Biogeography

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Transitional Coral Ecosystem of Taiwan in the Era of Changing Climate

Kuo

Keshavmurthy

Huang

et al. 2023

Coral Reefs of the World

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Differential strategies developed by two light-dependent scleractinian corals to extend their vertical range to mesophotic depths

Pérez-Rosales,

Rouzé,

Pichon

et al. 2024

Coral Reefs

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Mesophotic coral ecosystems are characterised by the presence of photosynthetic scleractinian corals despite the decreasing amounts of light available with depth. To better understand physiological strategies across a broad depth gradient, we studied the biological trait responses of Pocillopora cf. verrucosa from 6 to 60 m depth and Pachyseris “speciosa” spp. from 20 to 90 m depth at four islands of French Polynesia. Specifically, we characterised associated Symbiodiniaceae communities, photophysiological traits (Symbiodiniaceae density and chlorophyll concentrations), micro-morphology and trophic plasticity (autotrophy vs heterotrophy inferred from stable isotopes). Our results showed that both taxa can live at mesophotic depths without significant genetic structuring in their generic Symbiodiniaceae communities, mainly composed of Cladocopium and Durusdinium. Yet, the prevalence of Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 profiles revealed location-based variations that sometimes interact with depth and highlight putative shallow- or depth-tolerant taxa. For both taxa, symbiont density and chlorophyll pigment concentrations increased with increasing depth. We also found a change in their skeletal micro-morphology with an increase in the inter-corallite distance for Pocillopora cf. verrucosa and a decrease in the height of septa for Pachyseris “speciosa” spp. with depth. Finally, we found no isotopic evidence of switching to a more heterotrophic diet as their primary energy source, although host–tissue δ13C ratios became more negative with depth in both corals. Overall, our findings show similarity (across the two species) and species-specific strategies (biological trait patterns with increasing depth) underlying the capacity of symbiotic scleractinian corals to live in low-light environments.

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Strong horizontal and vertical connectivity in the coral Pocillopora verrucosa from Ludao, Taiwan, a small oceanic island

Cited by 4 publications

References 90 publications

Same places, same stories? Genomics reveals similar structuring and demographic patterns for four Pocillopora coral species in the southwestern Indian Ocean

Same places, same stories? Genomics reveals similar structuring and demographic patterns for four Pocillopora coral species in the southwestern Indian Ocean

Transitional Coral Ecosystem of Taiwan in the Era of Changing Climate

Differential strategies developed by two light-dependent scleractinian corals to extend their vertical range to mesophotic depths

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