Identifying heat-tolerant coral in coral nurseries

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-10-20 10:01

International

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Researchers in the US have conducted a census of endangered staghorn corals in nursery breeding centres to identify individuals that are heat tolerant. The survey found considerable variation in heat tolerance among individual coral, but was able to find evidence of heat tolerance in some individuals in every nursery of Florida's Coral Reef Tract. The researchers say these findings are important in identifying the corals who will perform best for propagation and out-planting, selective breeding, or assisted gene flow to boost reef resilience in the Caribbean.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Census of heat tolerance among Florida’s threatened staghorn corals finds resilient individuals throughout existing nursery populations
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

As coral reefs decline rapidly due to climate change, there is an urgent need to boost reef resilience through restoration interventions that leverage naturally heat-tolerant corals. Here, we conducted the first large-scale census of heat tolerance in nursery stocks of Florida's threatened staghorn corals to identify thermotolerant individuals. Using rapid, field-based heat stress tests, we found substantial variation in heat tolerance among individuals, with tolerant corals occurring across Florida's Coral Reef Tract and in existing nursery stocks. These tolerant corals can be immediately used for propagation and outplanting, selective breeding, or assisted gene flow efforts to boost reef resilience.

Journal/
conference: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: John G. Shedd Aquarium, USA

Funder: This work was supported by NSF grant no. OCE-2023705 to R.C., C.K., J.E.P., C.D. and A.C.B.

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