Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modulation Of Light-Enhancement To Symbiotic Algae By Light-Scattering In Corals And Evolutionary Trends In Bleaching, Luisa A. Marcelino, Mark W. Westneat, Valentina P. Stoyneva, Jillian Henss, Jeremy Rogers, Andrew J. Radosevich, Vladimir Turzhitsky, Margaret Siple, Andrew Fang, Timothy D. Swain, Jennifer Fung, Vadim Backman

Timothy Swain

Calcium carbonate skeletons of scleractinian corals amplify light availability to their algal symbionts by diffuse scattering, optimizing photosynthetic energy acquisition. However, the mechanism of scattering and its role in coral evolution and dissolution of algal symbioses during “bleaching” events are largely unknown. Here we show that differences in skeletal fractal architecture at nano/micro-lengthscales within 96 coral taxa result in an 8-fold variation in light-scattering and considerably alter the algal light environment. We identified a continuum of properties that fall between two extremes: (1) corals with low skeletal fractality that are efficient at transporting and redistributing light throughout the colony with …