Effect of Temperature on the Settlement Choice and Photophysiology of Larvae From the Reef Coral Stylophora pistillata

2008 ◽  
Vol 215 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hollie M. Putnam ◽  
Peter J. Edmunds ◽  
Tung-Yung Fan
Keyword(s):  
Reef Coral ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata

scholarly journals Longevity strategies in response to light in the reef coral Stylophora pistillata

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Ottaviani ◽  
Rita Eid ◽  
Didier Zoccola ◽  
Mélanie Pousse ◽  
Jean-Marc Dubal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Human Fibroblasts ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Biological Response ◽  
Skin Aging ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Reef Corals ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Age Related

AbstractAging is a multifactorial process that results in progressive loss of regenerative capacity and tissue function while simultaneously favoring the development of a large array of age-related diseases. Evidence suggests that the accumulation of senescent cells in tissue promotes both normal and pathological aging. Oxic stress is a key driver of cellular senescence. Because symbiotic long-lived reef corals experience daily hyperoxic and hypoxic transitions, we hypothesized that these long-lived animals have developed specific longevity strategies in response to light. We analyzed transcriptome variation in the reef coral Stylophora pistillata during the day–night cycle and revealed a signature of the FoxO longevity pathway. We confirmed this pathway by immunofluorescence using antibodies against coral FoxO to demonstrate its nuclear translocation. Through qPCR analysis of nycthemeral variations of candidate genes under different light regimens, we found that, among genes that were specifically up- or downregulated upon exposure to light, human orthologs of two “light-up” genes (HEY1 and LONF3) exhibited anti-senescence properties in primary human fibroblasts. Therefore, these genes are interesting candidates for counteracting skin aging. We propose a large screen for other light-up genes and an investigation of the biological response of reef corals to light (e.g., metabolic switching) to elucidate these processes and identify effective interventions for promoting healthy aging in humans.

The effect of external nutrient resources on the population dynamics of zooxanthellae in a reef coral

1989 ◽  
Vol 236 (1284) ◽  
pp. 311-324 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Ammonium Phosphate ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Symbiotic Algae ◽  
Nutrient Resources ◽  
Reduced Intensity ◽  
External Nutrient

Experiments were done to determine if ammonium, phosphate and feeding on Artemia nauplii affected the population density of symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) in the Red Sea coral Stylophora pistillata . Corals were incubated for 14 days under natural sunlight at reduced intensity in running seawater aquaria. The seawater was continuously spiked to give final concentrations of either 20 μM ammonium or 2 μM phosphate, or both. A second set of similarly treated corals was also fed Artemia nauplii daily. Population density of zooxanthellae in corals spiked with ammonium, or ammonium plus phosphate, approximately doubled, and the ratio of zooxanthellae carbon: nitrogen decreased. Phosphate supplementation alone had no effect. The increase in zooxanthellae numbers was linearly proportional to the increase in protein in zooxanthellae, suggesting that availability of inorganic nitrogen leads to increased protein synthesis in zooxanthellae. Feeding on Artemia alone or together with phosphate had no effect on the population density of zooxanthellae. Feeding on Artemia and ammonium produced a small increase in population density but it was not statistically significant. The small effect could be due to insufficient influx of ammonium in fed animals, or growth of both animal and algae resulting in little or no net change in the population density of zooxanthellae. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the growth of zooxanthellae in S. pistillata from the Red Sea is nitrogen limited.

scholarly journals Coral calcifying fluid pH is modulated by seawater carbonate chemistry not solely seawater pH

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1847) ◽  
pp. 20161669 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Comeau ◽  
E. Tambutté ◽  
R. C. Carpenter ◽  
P. J. Edmunds ◽  
N. R. Evensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Coral Calcification ◽  
Seawater Ph ◽  
Constant Ph ◽  
Seawater Carbonate Chemistry

Reef coral calcification depends on regulation of pH in the internal calcifying fluid (CF) in which the coral skeleton forms. However, little is known about calcifying fluid pH (pH CF ) regulation, despite its importance in determining the response of corals to ocean acidification. Here, we investigate pH CF in the coral Stylophora pistillata in seawater maintained at constant pH with manipulated carbonate chemistry to alter dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and therefore total alkalinity (A T ). We also investigate the intracellular pH of calcifying cells, photosynthesis, respiration and calcification rates under the same conditions. Our results show that despite constant pH in the surrounding seawater, pH CF is sensitive to shifts in carbonate chemistry associated with changes in [DIC] and [A T ], revealing that seawater pH is not the sole driver of pH CF . Notably, when we synthesize our results with published data, we identify linear relationships of pH CF with the seawater [DIC]/[H + ] ratio, [A T ]/ [H + ] ratio and [ ]. Our findings contribute new insights into the mechanisms determining the sensitivity of coral calcification to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry, which are needed for predicting effects of environmental change on coral reefs and for robust interpretations of isotopic palaeoenvironmental records in coral skeletons.

Primary production and photoadaptation in light- and shade-adapted colonies of the symbiotic coral, stylophora pistillata

1984 ◽  
Vol 222 (1227) ◽  
pp. 161-180 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Unit Area ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Initial Slope ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Symbiotic Algae ◽  
Photosynthetic Organisms ◽  
Light Intensities ◽  
Rate Of Photosynthesis ◽  
Tissue Nitrogen ◽  
Metabolic Carbon

Photoadaptation by photosynthetic organisms to lowered light intensities occurs in part through changes in pigment concentrations and in characteristics of the photosynthetic response curve. We have characterized photoadaptive responses of light- and shade-adapted colonies of the reef coral Stylophora pistillata , which possesses symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) and grows naturally under a variety of light intensities in the highly cavernous reefs of the Red Sea. Shade-adapted corals have significantly more chlorophyll per individual zooxanthella cell than light-adapted corals (2.98 compared to 12.97 pg chlorophyll a per cell), but not a significantly different number of cells per unit area (1.00 × 10 6 cells per square centimetre), with the result that the mass of chlorophyll per unit area is greater for shade-adapted corals than for light-adapted corals. Tissue nitrogen content per unit area is significantly lower ( p < 0.05) in shade-adapted corals, correlating with a decrease in polyp density (0.10 > p > 0.05) in shade forms. These biomass characteristics are concomitant with a variety of func­tional responses to natural light intensities. Rate of photosynthesis at saturating light intensities is the same per unit area in both forms (20.2 µgO 2 cm -2 h -1 for shade specimens; 18.8 for light specimens); but it is significantly different when measured by amount of chlorophyll (1.6 µg O 2 (chl a ) -1 h -1 for shade specimens compared with 5.0 for light specimens). The initial slope of the P: I curve, α , is significantly higher for shade specimens by area (0.21 for shade corals compared with 0.12 for light corals), but significantly lower for shade specimens by amount of chlorophyll a (0.01 for specimens from shade compared to 0.04 for specimens growing in the light). I k (the point at which maximum production begins) is significantly lower for shade specimens (138 µmol m -2 s -1 for shade compared to 273 for light), and likewise I c (the compensation point at which net coral photosynthesis = 0) is also significantly less for shade specimens (30 µmol m -2 s -1 for shade compared to 141 for light). The average nocturnal respiration rate is significantly higher for specimens growing in the light (13.9 µg O 2 cm -2 h -1 for light specimens compared to 7.6 for shade specimens). Corals in intense sunlight respire at almost twice the rate of shade corals, probably in response to their higher total gross production. Owing to higher production rates and lower respiration rates, integrated P c (gross)/ R c (24 h) ratios are greater for shade-adapted specimens either in direct sunlight (1.76 P/R for shade specimens in the light compared to 1.10 for light specimens in the light), or in the shade (0.43 for shade specimens in the cave compared to 0.10 for light specimen in the cave). By using previously defined equations and biomass assumptions, it can be shown that light-adapted Stylophora pistillata can acquire all of their basal metabolic carbon through photosynthesis and translocation, but that shade-adapted Stylophora colonies growing in shade acquire slightly less than half. These results also show that if there were no photoadaptive response, shade-adapted specimens would acquire less than 4 % of their carbon from photosynthesis

The effect of temperature on the size and population density of dinoflagellates in larvae of the reef coral Porites astreoides

2005 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Edmunds ◽  
Ruth D. Gates ◽  
William Leggat ◽  
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg ◽  
Laurie Allen-Requa
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Porites Astreoides

scholarly journals Measuring gross and net calcification of a reef coral under ocean acidification conditions: methodological considerations

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 8241-8272 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Cohen ◽  
M. Fine
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Realistic Assessment ◽  
Ph Conditions ◽  
Low Sensitivity ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Projected Changes

Abstract. Ongoing ocean acidification (OA) is rapidly altering carbonate chemistry in the oceans. The projected changes will likely have deleterious consequences for coral reefs by negatively affecting their growth. Nonetheless, diverse responses of reef-building corals calcification to OA hinder our ability to decipher reef susceptibility to elevated pCO2. Some of the inconsistencies between studies originate in measuring net calcification (NC), which does not always consider the proportions of the "real" (gross) calcification (GC) and gross dissolution in the observed response. Here we show that microcolonies of Stylophora pistillata (entirely covered by tissue), incubated under normal (8.2) and reduced (7.6) pH conditions for 16 months, survived and added new skeletal CaCO3, despite low (1.25) Ωarg conditions. Moreover, corals maintained their NC and GC rates under reduced (7.6) pH conditions and displayed positive NC rates at the low-end (7.3) pH treatment while bare coral skeleton underwent marked dissolution. Our findings suggest that S. pistillata may fall into the "low sensitivity" group with respect to OA and that their overlying tissue may be a key determinant in setting their tolerance to reduced pH by limiting dissolution and allowing them to calcify. This study is the first to measure GC and NC rates for a tropical scleractinian corals under OA conditions. We provide a detailed, realistic assessment of the problematic nature of previously accepted methods for measuring calcification (total alkalinity and 45Ca).

scholarly journals Telomere dysfunction is associated to dark-induced coral bleaching in the reef coral Stylophora pistillata

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Gilson ◽  
Alice Rouan ◽  
Sylvie Tambutté ◽  
Didier Zoccola ◽  
Melanie POUSSE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Reef Coral ◽  
Complex Trait ◽  
Continuous Darkness ◽  
Stylophora Pistillata ◽  
Multiple Loci ◽  
Coral Stress

Telomere DNA length is a complex trait controlled both by multiple loci and environmental factors. Even though the use of telomere DNA length measurement, as a method of assessing stress accumulation and predicting how this will influence survival, is currently being studied in numerous human cohort studies, the importance of telomere length for stress response in ecological studies remains at its infancy. Here, we investigated the telomere changes occurring in the symbiotic coral Stylophora pistillata that has experienced a continuous darkness over six months. This stress condition led to the loss of its symbionts, as what is also observed when bleaching occurs in the field at a large-scale due to climate changes and anthropogenic activities, threatening the worldwide reef ecosystem. We found that the continuous darkness condition was associated with telomere DNA length shortening and a downregulation of the expression of the telomere-associated protein Pot2. These results pave the way for future studies on the role of telomere in coral stress response and the importance of telomere dysregulation in endangered coral species.

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