Coral reefs are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth, but they are also among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Rising ocean temperatures, acidification, and pollution have caused widespread coral bleaching and mortality, threatening the survival of these vital habitats and the millions of people who depend on them.
However, a new study has revealed a surprising discovery about coral's resilience that could help reefs survive climate change.
Coral parents can pass on heat tolerance to their offspring
TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, focused on the mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata), a common reef-building species in the Caribbean.
The researchers collected coral samples from different locations in Florida and exposed them to simulated future ocean conditions, including higher temperatures and acidity. They then cross-bred the corals and tested the heat tolerance of their offspring.
The researchers expected that corals from warmer locations would have higher heat tolerance than those from cooler locations and that this trait would be inherited by their offspring.
However, they found that corals from both locations had similar heat tolerance and that their offspring were even more heat tolerant than their parents.
This suggests that coral parents can pass on heat tolerance to their offspring through epigenetic mechanisms, which involve changes in gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Rowan McLachlan, a coral expert at Oregon State University, expressed his excitement about this finding and said that it showed that corals had more potential to adapt to climate change than previously thought.
He also said that it challenged the commonly held notion that if coral parents can handle the heat, so should their offspring.
For example, corals with higher genetic diversity had higher survival rates than those with lower diversity.
Corals also host different types of symbiotic algae, which provide them with nutrients and oxygen. Some algae types were more resistant to heat stress than others, and corals could switch their algae partners depending on the temperature.
Additionally, corals were affected by environmental conditions such as light intensity and nutrient availability.
The researchers found that corals exposed to higher light intensity had lower survival rates than those exposed to lower light intensity.
This is because light can increase the production of reactive oxygen species, which can damage coral cells.
Corals also had lower survival rates when exposed to higher nutrient levels, which can promote algal overgrowth and disease.
Dr. McLachlan explained that these results highlighted the complexity of coral resilience and the need to consider multiple factors when assessing the impacts of climate change on coral reefs.
He also said that he hoped that his study would inspire more research on coral adaptation and inform conservation strategies for these precious ecosystems.
Coral reefs are facing unprecedented threats from climate change, but a new study has revealed a surprising discovery about coral's resilience that could help reefs survive climate change.
The study found that coral parents can pass on heat tolerance to their offspring through epigenetic mechanisms, and that coral resilience depends on multiple factors such as genetic diversity, symbiotic algae, and environmental conditions.
It provides new insights into coral adaptation and offers hope for the future of coral reefs.
