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Background Rising seawater temperatures increasingly threaten coral reefs. The ability of coral larvae to withstand heat is crucial for maintaining reefs. While the reproductive process from spawning to larval dispersal is extensively studied, the influence of heat stress on genetic diversity at the individual larval level still needs to be clarified.Results This study investigates the larval response to heat stress before acquiring symbiotic algae, aiming to elucidate the relationship between coral genetic diversity and heat stress. Larvae sourced from eight Acropora digitifera colonies were subjected to ambient temperature (28°C) and heat conditions (31°C). The impact of heat stress on larval genetic diversity was assessed through sequencing. While overall genetic diversity, represented by π, did not significantly differ between the control and heat-exposed groups, Tajima’s D differed, indicating different selective pressures in each group. Twelve larval protein-coding sequences were identified on these loci, and the codon evolution of most of these genes showed signs of adaptive evolution. These results demonstrate the complex nature of the selective pressures operating in coral larvae under different temperatures, suggesting that corals might have experienced similar selection pressures during speciation.Conclusion These findings underscore the significance of genetic diversity in coral reproduction for maintaining reef ecosystems. They also indicate that even minor heat stress can exert significant selective pressure, potentially leading to profound implications for coral reef ecosystems. This research is crucial for understanding and mitigating the impact of rising seawater temperatures on coral reefs.
Background Rising seawater temperatures increasingly threaten coral reefs. The ability of coral larvae to withstand heat is crucial for maintaining reefs. While the reproductive process from spawning to larval dispersal is extensively studied, the influence of heat stress on genetic diversity at the individual larval level still needs to be clarified.Results This study investigates the larval response to heat stress before acquiring symbiotic algae, aiming to elucidate the relationship between coral genetic diversity and heat stress. Larvae sourced from eight Acropora digitifera colonies were subjected to ambient temperature (28°C) and heat conditions (31°C). The impact of heat stress on larval genetic diversity was assessed through sequencing. While overall genetic diversity, represented by π, did not significantly differ between the control and heat-exposed groups, Tajima’s D differed, indicating different selective pressures in each group. Twelve larval protein-coding sequences were identified on these loci, and the codon evolution of most of these genes showed signs of adaptive evolution. These results demonstrate the complex nature of the selective pressures operating in coral larvae under different temperatures, suggesting that corals might have experienced similar selection pressures during speciation.Conclusion These findings underscore the significance of genetic diversity in coral reproduction for maintaining reef ecosystems. They also indicate that even minor heat stress can exert significant selective pressure, potentially leading to profound implications for coral reef ecosystems. This research is crucial for understanding and mitigating the impact of rising seawater temperatures on coral reefs.
Observation of coral spawning times is valuable to detect spawning patterns and identify the potential mechanisms behind coral reproduction. Although large amount of data on global coral spawning records have become available over the past decades, information on coral spawning in the northern South China Sea remains scarce. In this study, we investigated the spawning patterns of scleractinian corals in Luhuitou fringing reef, Hainan Island, China, from 2009 to 2021 in relation to lunar cycles (month and day). The spawning times of 22 coral species from five genera (Acropora, Montipora, Platygyra, Dipsastraea, and Galaxea) within three families (Acroporidae, Merulinidae, and Euphylliidae) were recorded, with spawning occurring from lunar February to May 2009–2021. Recorded spawning events started at a period of increasing seawater temperature. Acropora, the most documented genus, spawned between lunar February and April, but primarily in lunar March. Importantly, the spawning time of Acropora was delayed for one lunar month in 2016 most likely due to a rapid decrease in monthly mean seawater temperature in lunar February. Spawning lunar days before, on or after full moon of corals in the Luhuitou Reef, including those of the Acropora species, were highly variable between years even for the same species. No predictable pattern of spawning times can thus be detected. Nonetheless, our results fill up an information gap on coral spawning patterns in the northern South China Sea that may be useful for further understanding of the reproductive biology of scleractinian corals throughout the Indo–West Pacific.
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