Photoacclimation, growth and distribution of massive coral species in clear and turbid waters

Hennige, Sebastian J., Smith, David J., Perkins, Rupert Gordon, Consalvey, Mireille, Paterson, David M. and Suggett, David J. 2008. Photoacclimation, growth and distribution of massive coral species in clear and turbid waters. Marine ecology progress series 369 , pp. 77-88. 10.3354/meps07612

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Abstract

Massive coral species play a key role in coral reef ecosystems, adding significantly to physical integrity, long term stability and reef biodiversity. This study coupled the assessment of the distribution and abundance of 4 dominant massive coral species, Diploastrea heliopora, Favia speciosa, F. matthaii and Porites lutea, with investigations into species-specific photoacclimatory responses within the Wakatobi Marine National Park of southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, to determine the potential of photoacclimation to be a driver of biological success. For this, rapid light curves using pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) chlorophyll a fluorescence techniques were employed with additional manipulations to circumvent differences of light quality and absorption between species and across environmental gradients. P. lutea was examined over a range of depths and sites to determine patterns of photoacclimation, and all 4 species were assessed at a single depth between sites for which long-term data for coral community structure and growth existed. Light availability was more highly constrained with depth than between sites; consequently, photoacclimation patterns for P. lutea appeared greater with depth than across environmental gradients. All 4 species were found to differentially modify the extent of non-photochemical quenching to maintain a constant photochemical operating efficiency (qP). Therefore, our results suggest that these massive corals photoacclimate to ensure a constant light-dependent rate of reduction of the plastoquinone pool across growth environments.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Earth and Ocean Sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QE Geology
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Chlorophyll a fluorescence ; Zooxanthellae ; PAM ; Photoacclimation ; Massive coral ; Indo-Pacific
Publisher:	Inter-Research Science Center
ISSN:	0171-8630
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2017 02:47
URI:	http://orca-mwe.cf.ac.uk/id/eprint/12048

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