Title: Learning from the past: Impacts of marine heatwaves on coral reproduction and cross-generational acclimatization of Acropora pulchra in Moorea, French Polynesia
Journal: TBD
Environmental challenges such as increasing temperature can result in either beneficial or negative legacy effects in reef-building corals. However, our understanding of the impact of marine heatwaves on environmental memory is not well investigated. In this study, we hypothesized that sublethal exposure of Acropora pulchra in Mo'orea, French Polynesia to a simulated bleaching event during gametogenesis would increase offspring thermal performance. Colonies (n=12) were split in half and exposed to diel fluctuations in ambient temperature or a marine heatwave for four weeks, resulting in decreased symbiont density, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, and respiration in exposed colonies. Such responses indicate a reduction in energetic capacity that could limit parental provisioning to offspring or trigger epigenetic effects. Six months following exposure, high spawning success rates were observed in both the ambient (100%) and heatwave parental histories (87.5%). Gametes from the heatwave history had significantly larger egg sizes (38%) and higher fertilization success (25%) than the ambient history. When offspring were subjected to a reciprocal thermal stress experiment, those from parents that had experienced a marine heatwave had significantly greater survivorship (20%) under thermal stress compared to offspring from ambient colonies. These results demonstrate that offspring of parents challenged by thermal stress exhibit enhanced fitness through environmental memory. As climate change continues to threaten reef persistence, cross-generational acclimatization may allow early developmental stages to survive stress events.
Link: TBD
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