Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, Micronesia
Abstract Thermal-stress events on coral reefs lead to coral bleaching, mortality, and changes in species composition. The coral reefs of Yap, in the Federated States of Micronesia, however, remained largely unaffected by major thermal-stress events until 2020, when temperatures were elevated for thr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36355-2 |
| _version_ | 1797806761293381632 |
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| author | Rachael Keighan Robert van Woesik Anthony Yalon Joe Nam Peter Houk |
| author_facet | Rachael Keighan Robert van Woesik Anthony Yalon Joe Nam Peter Houk |
| author_sort | Rachael Keighan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Thermal-stress events on coral reefs lead to coral bleaching, mortality, and changes in species composition. The coral reefs of Yap, in the Federated States of Micronesia, however, remained largely unaffected by major thermal-stress events until 2020, when temperatures were elevated for three months. Twenty-nine study sites were examined around Yap to determine geographical and taxonomic patterns of coral abundance, bleaching susceptibility, and environmental predictors of bleaching susceptibility. Island-wide, 21% (± 14%) of the coral cover was bleached in 2020. Although inner reefs had a greater proportion of thermally-tolerant Porites corals, the prevalence of bleaching was consistently lower on inner reefs (10%) than on outer reefs (31%) for all coral taxa. Corals on both inner and outer reefs along the southwestern coast exhibited the lowest prevalence of coral bleaching and had consistently elevated chlorophyll-a concentrations. More broadly, we revealed a negative relationship between bleaching prevalence and (moderate) chlorophyll-a concentrations that may have facilitated resistance to thermal stress by reducing irradiance and providing a heterotrophic energy source to benefit some corals exposed to autotrophic stress. Southwestern reefs also supported a high but declining fish biomass, making these bleaching-resistant and productive reefs a potential climate-change refuge and a prime target for conservation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:12:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-27976446a94946a683f91782aa12f32b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T06:12:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-27976446a94946a683f91782aa12f32b2023-06-11T11:11:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-06-011311910.1038/s41598-023-36355-2Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, MicronesiaRachael Keighan0Robert van Woesik1Anthony Yalon2Joe Nam3Peter Houk4University of Guam Marine Laboratory, UoG StationInstitute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of TechnologyYap State Division of Marine ResourcesYap Community Action ProgramUniversity of Guam Marine Laboratory, UoG StationAbstract Thermal-stress events on coral reefs lead to coral bleaching, mortality, and changes in species composition. The coral reefs of Yap, in the Federated States of Micronesia, however, remained largely unaffected by major thermal-stress events until 2020, when temperatures were elevated for three months. Twenty-nine study sites were examined around Yap to determine geographical and taxonomic patterns of coral abundance, bleaching susceptibility, and environmental predictors of bleaching susceptibility. Island-wide, 21% (± 14%) of the coral cover was bleached in 2020. Although inner reefs had a greater proportion of thermally-tolerant Porites corals, the prevalence of bleaching was consistently lower on inner reefs (10%) than on outer reefs (31%) for all coral taxa. Corals on both inner and outer reefs along the southwestern coast exhibited the lowest prevalence of coral bleaching and had consistently elevated chlorophyll-a concentrations. More broadly, we revealed a negative relationship between bleaching prevalence and (moderate) chlorophyll-a concentrations that may have facilitated resistance to thermal stress by reducing irradiance and providing a heterotrophic energy source to benefit some corals exposed to autotrophic stress. Southwestern reefs also supported a high but declining fish biomass, making these bleaching-resistant and productive reefs a potential climate-change refuge and a prime target for conservation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36355-2 |
| spellingShingle | Rachael Keighan Robert van Woesik Anthony Yalon Joe Nam Peter Houk Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, Micronesia Scientific Reports |
| title | Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, Micronesia |
| title_full | Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, Micronesia |
| title_fullStr | Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, Micronesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, Micronesia |
| title_short | Moderate chlorophyll-a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in Yap, Micronesia |
| title_sort | moderate chlorophyll a environments reduce coral bleaching during thermal stress in yap micronesia |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36355-2 |
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