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Full-Text Articles in Biology

The Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (Cbass): A Low-Cost, Portable System For Standardized Empirical Assessments Of Coral Thermal Limits, Nicholas R. Evensen, Katherine E. Parker, Thomas A. Oliver, Stephen R. Palumbi, Cheryl A. Logan, James S. Ryan, Courtney N. Klepac, Gabriela Perna, Mark E. Warner, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis Jan 2023

The Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (Cbass): A Low-Cost, Portable System For Standardized Empirical Assessments Of Coral Thermal Limits, Nicholas R. Evensen, Katherine E. Parker, Thomas A. Oliver, Stephen R. Palumbi, Cheryl A. Logan, James S. Ryan, Courtney N. Klepac, Gabriela Perna, Mark E. Warner, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ocean warming is increasingly affecting marine ecosystems across the globe. Reef-building corals are particularly affected by warming, with mass bleaching events increasing in frequency and leading to widespread coral mortality. Yet, some corals can resist or recover from bleaching better than others. Such variability in thermal resilience could be critical to reef persistence; however, the scientific community lacks standardized diagnostic approaches to rapidly and comparatively assess coral thermal vulnerability prior to bleaching events. We present the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS) as a low-cost, open-source, field-portable experimental system for rapid empirical assessment of coral thermal thresholds using standardized temperature …


The Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (Cbass): A Low Cost, Portable System For Standardized Empirical Assessments Of Coral Thermal Limits, Nicolas R. Evensen, Katherine E. Parker, Thomas A. Oliver, Stephen R. Palumbi, Cheryl A. Logan, James S. Ryan, Courtney N. Klepac, Gabriela Perna, Mark E. Warner, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis Jan 2023

The Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (Cbass): A Low Cost, Portable System For Standardized Empirical Assessments Of Coral Thermal Limits, Nicolas R. Evensen, Katherine E. Parker, Thomas A. Oliver, Stephen R. Palumbi, Cheryl A. Logan, James S. Ryan, Courtney N. Klepac, Gabriela Perna, Mark E. Warner, Christian R. Voolstra, Daniel J. Barshis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ocean warming is increasingly affecting marine ecosystems across the globe. Reef-building corals are particularly affected by warming, with mass bleaching events increasing in frequency and leading to widespread coral mortality. Yet, some corals can resist or recover from bleaching better than others. Such variability in thermal resilience could be critical to reef persistence; however, the scientific community lacks standardized diagnostic approaches to rapidly and comparatively assess coral thermal vulnerability prior to bleaching events. We present the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS) as a low-cost, open-source, field-portable experimental system for rapid empirical assessment of coral thermal thresholds using standardized temperature …


Assessment Of Temperature Optimum Signatures Of Corals At Both Latitudinal Extremes Of The Red Sea, Guilhem Banc-Prandi, Nicolas R. Evensen, Daniel J. Barshis, Gabriela Perna, Youssouf Moussa Omar, Maoz Fine Jan 2022

Assessment Of Temperature Optimum Signatures Of Corals At Both Latitudinal Extremes Of The Red Sea, Guilhem Banc-Prandi, Nicolas R. Evensen, Daniel J. Barshis, Gabriela Perna, Youssouf Moussa Omar, Maoz Fine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Rising ocean temperatures are pushing reef-building corals beyond their temperature optima (Topt), resulting in reduced physiological performances and increased risk of bleaching. Identifying refugia with thermally resistant corals and understanding their thermal adaptation strategy is therefore urgent to guide conservation actions. The Gulf of Aqaba (GoA, northern Red Sea) is considered a climate refuge, hosting corals that may originate from populations selected for thermal resistance in the warmer waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura (GoT, entrance to the Red Sea and 2000 km south of the GoA). To better understand the thermal adaptation strategy of GoA corals, …


Fast And Pervasive Transcriptomic Resilience And Acclimation Of Extremely Heat-Tolerant Coral Holobionts From The Northern Red Sea, Romain Savary, Daniel J. Barshis, Christian R. Voolstra, Anny Cárdenas, Nicolas R. Evensen, Guilhem Banc-Prandi, Maoz Fine, Anders Meiborn Jan 2021

Fast And Pervasive Transcriptomic Resilience And Acclimation Of Extremely Heat-Tolerant Coral Holobionts From The Northern Red Sea, Romain Savary, Daniel J. Barshis, Christian R. Voolstra, Anny Cárdenas, Nicolas R. Evensen, Guilhem Banc-Prandi, Maoz Fine, Anders Meiborn

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Corals from the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba exhibit extreme thermal tolerance. To examine the underlying gene expression dynamics, we exposed Stylophora pistillata from the Gulf of Aqaba to short-term (hours) and long-term (weeks) heat stress with peak seawater temperatures ranging from their maximum monthly mean of 27 °C (baseline) to 29.5 °C, 32 °C, and 34.5 °C. Corals were sampled at the end of the heat stress as well as after a recovery period at baseline temperature. Changes in coral host and symbiotic algal gene expression were determined via RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq). Shifts in coral microbiome composition were …


In Hot Water: Thermal Acclimation Is Insufficient To Save Corals In The Anthropocene, Harmony Alise Martell Jul 2019

In Hot Water: Thermal Acclimation Is Insufficient To Save Corals In The Anthropocene, Harmony Alise Martell

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Scleractinian corals are animal partners in exquisite symbioses with a suite of algal, microbial, fungal and viral associates comprising miniature ecosystems collectively referred to as a holobiont. In recent decades, ocean warming has jeopardized the delicate balance of the very symbioses that have enabled coral survival. Thermal stress causes a reduction of algal symbionts, a phenomenon referred to as ‘coral bleaching’ that represents dysbiosis in the holobiont and often leads to mortality. Current thermal acclimation theory states variation and gradual increases in temperature can ameliorate thermal stress. Indeed, there is evidence some coral species have some capacity to acclimatize to …


High-Frequency Temperature Variability Mirrors Fixed Differences In Thermal Limits Of The Massive Coral Porites Lobata, Daniel J. Barshis, Charles Birkeland, Robert J. Toonen, Ruth D. Gates, Jonathon H. Stillman Dec 2018

High-Frequency Temperature Variability Mirrors Fixed Differences In Thermal Limits Of The Massive Coral Porites Lobata, Daniel J. Barshis, Charles Birkeland, Robert J. Toonen, Ruth D. Gates, Jonathon H. Stillman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Spatial heterogeneity in environmental characteristics can drive adaptive differentiation when contrasting environments exert divergent selection pressures. This environmental and genetic heterogeneity can substantially influence population and community resilience to disturbance events. Here, we investigated corals from the highly variable back-reef habitats of Ofu Island in American Samoa that thrive in thermal conditions known to elicit widespread bleaching and mortality elsewhere. To investigate the relative importance of acclimation versus site of origin in shaping previously observed differences in coral tolerance limits at Ofu Island, specimens of the common Indo-Pacific coral Porites lobata from locations with differing levels of thermal variability were …