title: Coral mass spawning predicted by rapid seasonal rise in ocean temperature.
abstract: Coral spawning times have been linked to multiple environmental factors; however, to what extent these factors act as generalized cues across multiple species and large spatial scales is unknown. We used a unique dataset of coral spawning from 34 reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans to test if month of spawning and peak spawning month in assemblages of Acropora spp. can be predicted by sea surface temperature (SST), photosynthetically available radiation, wind speed, current speed, rainfall or sunset time. Contrary to the classic view that high mean SST initiates coral spawning, we found rapid increases in SST to be the best predictor in both cases (month of spawning: R(2) = 0.73, peak: R(2) = 0.62). Our findings suggest that a rapid increase in SST provides the dominant proximate cue for coral mass spawning over large geographical scales. We hypothesize that coral spawning is ultimately timed to ensure optimal fertilization success.
authors.affiliation: Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia sally.a.keith@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9634-2763
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.affiliation: SymbioSeas and the Marine Applied Research Center, Wilmington, NC 28411, USA Laboratoire d'Excellence «CORAIL» USR 3278 CNRS - EPHE, CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maynard
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, Newcastle University, Ridley Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
authors.forename: Alasdair J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: SECORE International, 40 Jalan Anjung 5, Horizon Hills, Nusajaya 79100, Johor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guest
authors.affiliation: Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9260-2153
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.affiliation: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, NOAA, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3804-1233
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Hooidonk
authors.affiliation: NOAA Coral Reef Watch, 675 Ross River Road, Townsville, Queensland 4817, Australia Marine Geophysical Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott F
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5262-6978
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.affiliation: Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23599-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2463-2742
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Berumen
authors.affiliation: Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23599-6900, Saudi Arabia Department of Geology and Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9221-537X
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouwmeester
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Biodiversity of Peninsular Thailand, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.
authors.forename: Srisakul
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9699-4163
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piromvaragorn
authors.affiliation: Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rahbek
authors.affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8504-4077
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Baird
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D057894:Coral Reefs; D019156:Indian Ocean; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010788:Photosynthesis; D011891:Rain; D012098:Reproduction; D012621:Seasons; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013472:Sunlight; D013696:Temperature; D014919:Wind
keywords: Acropora; Indo-Pacific; biogeography; macroecology; phenology; reproduction