Coral bleaching: causes and consequences

Brown, Bradford E.

doi:10.1007/s003380050249

Cited by 1,279 publications

(1,015 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Several environmental factors such as changes in light levels and seawater temperature can trigger the loss of zooxanthellae from the host Brown, 1997;Douglas, 2003). When the visual appearance of the coral becomes dominated by the white colour of the skeleton showing through the tissue, the phenomenon is known as ''bleaching''.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corals from the Persian/Arabian Gulf as models for thermotolerant reef-builders: Prevalence of clade C3 Symbiodinium, host fluorescence and ex situ temperature tolerance

Hume

D’Angelo

Burt

et al. 2013

Marine Pollution Bulletin

157

148

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a b s t r a c tCorals in the Arabian/Persian Gulf endure summer temperatures of up to 36°C, making them ideal subjects to study the mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance. Unexpectedly, we found the ''generalist'' Symbiodinium clade C3 to be the prevalent symbiont among seven coral species from Abu Dhabi (UAE) waters. Moreover, C3 represented the only dominant symbiont type in Porites spp. from this region. The ''thermotolerant'' symbionts D1a and C15 were not encountered, indicating that the association with these symbionts cannot be the sole reason for the heat tolerance of Gulf corals. The association of Porites lobata with specific symbiont types (C3 vs. C15) in samples from habitats with very different temperature regimes (Abu Dhabi vs. Fiji) remained unaffected by laboratory culture. During temperature stress experiments specimens from both locations strongly downregulated green fluorescent protein (GFP)-like pigments. However, the Abu Dhabi samples were less prone to bleaching and showed lower mortality.Crown

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corals from the Persian/Arabian Gulf as models for thermotolerant reef-builders: Prevalence of clade C3 Symbiodinium, host fluorescence and ex situ temperature tolerance

Hume

D’Angelo

Burt

et al. 2013

Marine Pollution Bulletin

157

148

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“…However, when exposed to stressful environmental conditions, coral-algal symbioses can break down, resulting in 'bleaching' (the loss of algal cells and/or pigments; reviewed in Glynn 1996). If bleaching is prolonged or severe, colony mortality can result (Brown 1997, Goldberg & Wilkinson 2004. Biogeographic patterns in coral distribution cor-relate with prevailing temperature regimes, indicating that this environmental factor strongly influences coral-algal mutualisms (Veron 1995) and their susceptibility to bleaching (Coles et al 1976).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel algal symbiont (Symbiodinium spp.) diversity in reef corals of Western Australia

Silverstein

Correa

LaJeunesse³

et al. 2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The identity and diversity of algal symbionts (Symbiodinium spp.) in reef corals is thought to influence to the resilience of reef ecosystems to climate change, and varies depending on coral species, environmental conditions, and biogeography. We examined these factors by surveying corals along a latitudinal gradient in Western Australia on reefs connected north to south by the warm-water Leeuwin Current. We used the internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) region of ribosomal DNA to characterize Symbiodinium communities in 19 species of reef coral (in 16 genera) from tropical Dampier (20.5°S) to temperate Dunsborough (33.5°S). We documented a high number of novel ITS-2 types in Symbiodinium clades B (1 type) and C (14 types) as well as 7 previously reported ITS-2 types in clades B, C, and D. In addition, we compared symbiont distributions with Giovanni's OBIG MODIS-Aqua satellite temperature data set and found that the putatively thermotolerant Symbiodinium ITS-2 type D1a was more frequently detected in 'chronically warm' tropical sites than at 'chronically cool' temperate sites, while clade B symbiont types showed the reverse pattern, being found in certain corals at the southernmost sites. Symbiodinium type D1a was generally most abundant at Dampier, where bleaching had occurred 1 mo prior to sampling, although some variation by host taxa was observed. The diverse and novel Symbiodinium communities documented here may be a result of (1) the variable environmental histories of the study sites, (2) the apparent genetic divergence within this genus resulting from the relative isolation of Western Australian reefs, and/or (3) the frequent transport of symbionts (in hospite or free-living) from Indo-Malay reefs to Western Australia via the Leeuwin Current. These results indicate that understudied reefs in remote and isolated areas may contain Symbiodinium diversity that has not been reported previously.

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“…Mass bleaching and high mortality of corals have been reported from major Indo-Pacific reef provinces since the 1997 event (Huerkamp et al 1998;Jaubert et al 1998;Obura and White 1998;Teleki et al 1998;Berkelmans and Oliver 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scleractinian corals have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae and coral bleaching is recognized as a loss of zooxanthellae and/or their pigments (Glynn 1993;Brown 1997). Gleason (1993) indicated that bleaching events can cause selective mortality and stress on susceptible species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coral bleaching, geological ranges, and adaptation to high sea surface temperatures

Sugihara

Iryu

Nakamori

1999

Journal of the Japanese Coral Reef Society

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Abstract:Coral bleaching was described in Kikai-jima (Kikai Island) in October, 1998. Mortality of coral species belonging to the families Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae was the highest of all scleractinian corals in this island. In contrast, some species of the genera Psammocora and Pavona were never or seldom damaged.These results were similar to those observed in the other Indo-Pacific regions.Significant differences in mortality among families could be attributed to the their geological ranges. The species that were free from appreciable damages by bleaching belong to the families which first appeared in the geological periods when the climate was globally warm (greenhouse periods).

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Coral bleaching: causes and consequences

Cited by 1,279 publications

References 67 publications

Corals from the Persian/Arabian Gulf as models for thermotolerant reef-builders: Prevalence of clade C3 Symbiodinium, host fluorescence and ex situ temperature tolerance

Corals from the Persian/Arabian Gulf as models for thermotolerant reef-builders: Prevalence of clade C3 Symbiodinium, host fluorescence and ex situ temperature tolerance

Novel algal symbiont (Symbiodinium spp.) diversity in reef corals of Western Australia

Coral bleaching, geological ranges, and adaptation to high sea surface temperatures

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