Overview

Pocillopora species are diverse and contain multiple cryptic lineages that can co-occur and are morphologically similar Johnston et al 2021. Initial examination of thermal tolerance in Moorea French Polynesia indicates variability in thermal tolerance between species/haplotypes Burgess et al 2021. Here we examined the thermal performance of Pocillopora species from three visual morphologies (P. grandis, P. meandrina, and P. verrucosa) at 6 temperatures from 22-36°C using a Thermal Performance Curve Approach (TPC) Further we surveyed the genetic identity of these samples via mtORF and PocHistone sanger sequencing, as well as the identity of all Pocillopora across multiple transects at a site on the North Shore of Moorea to understand their relative abundance on lagoon reefs.