title: Species-specific trends in the reproductive output of corals across environmental gradients and bleaching histories.
abstract: Coral populations in the Persian Gulf have a reputation for being some of the toughest in the world yet little is known about the energetic constraints of living under temperature and salinity extremes. Energy allocation for sexual reproduction in Gulf corals was evaluated relative to conspecifics living under milder environmental conditions in the Oman Sea. Fecundity was depressed at Gulf sites in two Indo-Pacific merulinid species (Cyphastrea microphthalma and Platygyra daedalea) but not in a regionally endemic acroporid (Acropora downingi). Gulf populations of each species experienced high temperature bleaching at the onset of gametogenesis in the study but fecundity was only negatively impacted in P. daedalea and A. downingi. Large population sizes of C. microphthalma and P. daedalea in the Gulf are expected to buffer reductions on colony-level fecundity. However, depleted population sizes of A. downingi at some Gulf sites equate to low reef-wide fecundity and likely impede outcrossing success.
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: em.howells@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Emily J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Howells
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Remi N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Ketchum
authors.affiliation: Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore.
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Yasmine
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Kristina D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Burt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D057894:Coral Reefs; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006358:Hot Temperature; D019156:Indian Ocean; D009850:Oman; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D011156:Population Density; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D054712:Salinity; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Acropora; Cyphastrea; Gulf of Oman; Marginal reefs; Persian gulf; Platygyra