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In hospite Symbiodinium photophysiology and antioxidant responses in Acropora muricata on a coast-reef scale: implications for variable bleaching patterns

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Abstract

Understanding susceptibility to bleaching may indicate how corals cope with increasing seawater temperatures resulting from climate change. In Belle Mare lagoon, Mauritius, Acropora muricata colonies at reef sites but not near the coast exhibited bleaching. We compared seawater temperatures and light intensity both on a summer day and a winter day at a reef station and a near-coast station. The total phenolic contents, non-enzymatic antioxidant activities of the coral holobiont, in situ photophysiological parameters of in hospite Symbiodinium as well as their cladal diversity were assessed. Both sites had comparable maximum temperatures but fluctuations were higher in the near-coast station (2–3 °C) compared to the reef station (1–1.5 °C) on both days. Light intensity was higher on the summer day than the winter day at both stations. Higher total phenolic contents and ferrous reducing antioxidant potential were observed in near-coast colonies than in reef colonies on the summer day. Only Clade A-like Symbiodinium sp. variants were detected at both locations, but higher maximum relative electron transport rates and maximum non-photochemical quenching were measured in near-coast colonies. Our data show that the near-coast colonies exhibited enhanced photophysiological responses, antioxidant activities and increased total phenolic contents in response to higher thermal and light fluctuations. This acclimatization may explain the variability in bleaching along a coast-reef scale.

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Acknowledgments

Y. D. L acknowledges the University of Mauritius for MPhil/PhD research funding and logistics, and the technical staff of Department of Biosciences for assistance. We thank Drs T. Higuchi, C. Kenkel, T. Nakamura, P. Todd, D. Vianney and I. Yakovleva for insightful and critical comments on the manuscript. Y.D.L is thankful to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) of Mauritius for an MPhil/PhD scholarship. Corals were collected under a permit granted by the Ministry of Fisheries, Republic of Mauritius. The authors are thankful to anonymous reviewers and the editors for comments that have significantly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit, 80837, Republic of Mauritius

    Yohan D. Louis, Arvind Gopeechund & Sabrina D. Dyall

  2. Department of Marine & Ocean Science, Fisheries & Mariculture, Faculty of Ocean Studies, University of Mauritius, Réduit, 80837, Republic of Mauritius

    Deepeeka Kaullysing, Sushma Mattan-Moorgawa & Ranjeet Bhagooli

  3. ANDI Centre of Excellence for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit, 80837, Republic of Mauritius

    Arvind Gopeechund & Theeshan Bahorun

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  1. Yohan D. Louis
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Correspondence to Ranjeet Bhagooli.

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Louis, Y.D., Kaullysing, D., Gopeechund, A. et al. In hospite Symbiodinium photophysiology and antioxidant responses in Acropora muricata on a coast-reef scale: implications for variable bleaching patterns. Symbiosis 68, 61–72 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-016-0380-4

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