Coral Biology Under Climate Stress

Using experimental and modelling evidence, this study reveals that small coral populations face fertilization failure due to Allee effects. The findings identify critical population thresholds needed to maintain reproductive success.

This study provides insights into the functional roles of microbial symbionts within the reef-building coral Acropora kenti. The findings reveal molecular mechanisms underpinning coral health and adaptation to local environmental stressors, which may support host resilience in the face of anthropogenic climate change and pollution.

Bleaching threatens corals worldwide as the oceans warm from climate change. Here the authors provide insight into intergenerational acclimatization potential by identifying metabolomic signatures of coral resistance to bleaching at all stages of development, including in the new generation.

Marine heatwaves can have severe impact on corals populations. This study demonstrates that selective breeding could quickly enhance coral tolerance to short-term heat stress by up to 1 °C. This has potential to mitigate some impacts of climate change, however urgent climate action is still needed.

A metric to measure coral thermal tolerance to cold stress was developed alongside heat tolerance, revealing species-specific thermal limits and microbial patterns that improve assessment of coral resilience under climate change.

Downregulating pa-BAK stabilizes coral-algal symbiosis, reduces bleaching, and prevents oxidative damage under heat stress in Pocillopora acuta, enhancing its thermal tolerance but potentially causing long-term trade-offs like mitochondrial damage.

Fatty acid profiling and stable isotope analysis reveals selective nutrient incorporation in a common mixotrophic reef-building coral. This selective uptake underscores the potential for underestimation of heterotrophy in corals.

Standardized acute thermal assays (CBASS) of Acropora species reveal that nursery-reared corals either retain or recover thermal tolerance over time, suggesting adaptive traits are ultimately retained in restoration environments.

Targeted lipid nanoparticle supplementation in Acropora spathulata enhances larval swimming, settlement, and juvenile resilience, revealing critical roles of sterols and fatty acids in early life-stage fitness of corals.

Pioneering coral probiotics study shows in situ application reshapes the coral microbiome, boosting beneficial bacteria and reducing pathogens without affecting surrounding seawater and sediment microbiomes.

Seasonal variations of temperature modify coral thermal tolerance threshold for Pocillopora verrucosa species while Acropora spp. remain unchanged when exposed to the same in situ conditions.

Coral reefs are inextricably linked to their surrounding seascape, ecologically shaped by ocean circulation patterns and dependent on upwelled nutrients and planktonic subsidies. To better predict coral reef futures, we must more effectively quantify and incorporate these fundamental biophysical interactions.

Cryptic lineages of morphologically similar but genetically distinct coral taxa occur in many reef systems. This Perspective discusses the relevance of this genetic diversity to studies of coral responses to climate change and to reef conservation and restoration.

This perspective highlights spatially restricted coral bleaching as an underexplored ecological phenomenon that offers critical insight into within-colony heterogeneity.