[Coral-List] Excess algal symbionts increase coral susceptibility to bleaching

[Mikhail Matz]

A very interesting idea, Billy!

I am sure someone must have looked at the physiological effects of stagnant water on coral?

If not, I know what to do the next field season

Misha

iPhone. No keys. Typos.

On Nov 15, 2012, at 1:34 PM, Billy Causey <billy.causey at noaa.gov> wrote:

> Andrew,
> Once again, you and your students are doing some cutting edge
> research.  Congratulations to you and Ross!
> 
> At great risk of generating a debate of some sort, I wanted to share
> some thoughts pertaining to your findings in this current paper.
> 
> Just prior to and during the massive bleaching in the Florida Keys
> (1983, 87, 90, and 97-98) we had slick-calm, doldrum weather for weeks
> at a time.  Prior to the onset of bleaching, the reef fish would
> appear stressed (pumping opercula), as if there was low O2 in the
> water.  The seas were slick, the water was hot, day and night .... and
> everything was demanding O2 at night. Even the symbionts living in the
> coral tissue.  Now, you have discovered that corals with more
> symbionts are more susceptible to bleaching.  To me, that translates
> to possibly meaning there are more symbionts demanding or using O2 at
> night in the coral tissue.  I have always felt that the role of
> dissolved O2, especially at night, was another factor that contributes
> to triggering coral bleaching.
> 
> Imagine, you are the tissue of a coral, stuffed with symbionts, and
> the water is hot, DO is low, even during the day, nightfall comes,
> photosynthesis stops at night, everything is demanding O in the coral
> tissue, even the crowed symbionts.  This cycle goes on day and night
> for the extent of the doldrum weather.  The coral tissue and symbionts
> compete for O2, especially at night .... and soon something has to
> give.  The symbionts are either expelled or consumed .... and
> bleaching occurs.
> 
> I realize this is rather simplistic, but it is something that I have
> thought about for years.
> 
> Your's and Ross' research triggered my thinking again about the role
> of symbionts and levels of DO in the reef community.
> 
> Again, congratulations for a great paper!   Billy
> 
> Billy D. Causey, Ph.D.
> Southeast Regional Director
> NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
> 
> 33 East Quay Road
> Key West, Florida 33040
> 
> Phone:
> 305 809 4670 office
> 305 395 0150 mobile
> 305 293 5011 fax
> 
> Email:
> billy.causey at noaa.gov
> 
> 
> On Nov 12, 2012, at 8:55 PM, Andrew Baker <abaker at rsmas.miami.edu> wrote:
> 
>> Dear all
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> A paper published recently in Nature Climate Change might be of interest to
>> list subscribers. It shows that corals with too many algal symbionts are
>> more susceptible to bleaching, contrary to conventional wisdom that corals
>> with more symbionts are protected from bleaching because they have "more
>> symbionts to lose". It suggests that corals have to balance maximizing the
>> photosynthetic benefits provided by their algal symbionts against the risk
>> of having too many symbionts if exposed to high temperatures.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> This has some real world implications, providing a mechanistic explanation
>> for why corals exposed to nutrient pollution are more sensitive to bleaching
>> (see also Wiedenmann et al. 2012 for another, not necessarily mutually
>> exclusive, mechanism). It may also influence the bleaching susceptibility of
>> corals exposed to increasing pCO2.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Link to paper:
>> http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate1711.html
>> 
>> Press release:
>> http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/news-events/press-releases/2012/too-much-of-a-goo
>> d-thing-can-be-bad-for-corals/
>> 
>> Reference: Cunning R, Baker AC (2012) Excess symbionts increase the
>> susceptibility of reef corals to bleaching. Nature Climate Change.
>> doi:10.1038/nclimate1711
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Pdf available on request from lead author Ross Cunning
>> (rcunning at rsmas.miami.edu)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sincerely
>> 
>> Andrew Baker
>> 
>> ___________________
>> 
>> Andrew C. Baker, Ph.D.
>> 
>> Associate Professor, University of Miami
>> 
>> Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Lab webpage link here
>> <http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/people/faculty-index/?p=andrew-c-baker>
>> 
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>> 
>> Visit the lab on Facebook by clicking
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>> esearch-Lab-CR2/149751198419595> here
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries
>> 
>> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
>> 
>> University of Miami
>> 
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>> 
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>> 
>> Email:  <mailto:abaker at rsmas.miami.edu> abaker at rsmas.miami.edu
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Associate Conservation Scientist
>> 
>> Wildlife Conservation Society
>> 
>> <http://www.wcs.org/marine> www.wcs.org/marine
>> 
>> 
>> 
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