Can resistant coral-Symbiodinium associations enable coral communities to survive climate change? A study of a site exposed to long-term hot water input.
Climate change has led to a decline in the health of corals and coral reefs around the world. Studies have shown that, while some corals can cope with natural and anthropogenic stressors either through resistance mechanisms of coral hosts or through sustainable relationships with Symbiodinium clades or types, many coral species cannot. Here, we show that the corals present in a reef in southern Taiwan, and exposed to long-term elevated seawater temperatures due to the presence of a nuclear power plant outlet (NPP OL), are unique in terms of species and associated Symbiodinium types. At shallow depths (<3 m), eleven coral genera elsewhere in Kenting predominantly found with Symbiodinium types C1 and C3 (stress sensitive) were instead hosting Symbiodinium type D1a (stress tolerant) or a mixture of Symbiodinium type C1/C3/C21a/C15 and Symbiodinium type D1a. Of the 16 coral genera that dominate the local reefs, two that are apparently unable to associate with Symbiodinium type D1a are not present at NPP OL at depths of <3 m. Two other genera present at NPP OL and other locations host a specific type of Symbiodinium type C15. These data imply that coral assemblages may have the capacity to maintain their presence at the generic level against long-term disturbances such as elevated seawater temperatures by acclimatization through successful association with a stress-tolerant Symbiodinium over time. However, at the community level it comes at the cost of some coral genera being lost, suggesting that species unable to associate with a stress-tolerant Symbiodinium are likely to become extinct locally and unfavorable shifts in coral communities are likely to occur under the impact of climate change.
Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica , Nangang, Taipei , Taiwan.
Shashank
S
Keshavmurthy
National Museum of Marine Biology/Aquarium , Checheng, Pingtung , Taiwan ; Institute of Marine Biodiversity and Evolution, National Dong Hwa University , Checheng, Pingtung , Taiwan.
Pei-Jie
PJ
Meng
Institute of Biotechnology, Tajen University of Science and Technology , Pintung , Taiwan.
Jih-Terng
JT
Wang
Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica , Nangang, Taipei , Taiwan ; ARC Centre for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University , Townsville , Australia.
Chao-Yang
CY
Kuo
University of Ryukyus, Graduate School of Engineering and Science , Okinawa , Japan.
Sung-Yin
SY
Yang
Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica , Nangang, Taipei , Taiwan ; Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University , Taipei , Taiwan.
Chia-Min
CM
Hsu
Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica , Nangang, Taipei , Taiwan.
Chai-Hsia
CH
Gan
Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University , Taipei , Taiwan.
Chang-Feng
CF
Dai
Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica , Nangang, Taipei , Taiwan ; Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University , Taipei , Taiwan ; Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP)-Biodiversity, Academia Sinica , Nankang, Taipei , Taiwan.
Chaolun Allen
CA
Chen
Acclimatization; Climate change; Coral reefs; Nuclear power plant; Symbiodinium type D1a