Project: The ecophysiological basis of the response of coral larvae and early life history stages to global climate change

Acronym/Short Name:Climate_Coral_Larvae
Project Duration:2009-07 -2013-06
Geolocation:Moorea, French Polynesia; Southern Taiwan; California State University Northridge

Description

Tropical coral reefs face a suite of environmental assaults ranging from anchor damage to the effects of global climate change (GCC). The consequences are evident throughout the tropics, where many coral reefs have lost a substantial fraction of their coral cover in a few decades. Notwithstanding the importance of reducing the impacts of environmental stresses, the only means by which these ecosystems can recover (or simply persist) is through the recruitment of scleractinians, which is a function of successful larval development, delivery, settlement, metamorphosis, and post-settlement events. Despite wide recognition of the importance of these processes, there are few pertinent empirical data, and virtually none that address the mechanisms mediating the success of early coral life stages in a physical environmental varying at multiple spatio-temporal scales.

The objective of this research is to complete one of the first comprehensive ecophysiological analyses of the early life stages of corals through a description of: (1) their functionality under 'normal' conditions, and (2) their response to the main drivers of GCC. These analyses will be completed for 2 species representative of a brooding life history strategy, and the experiments will be completed in two locations, one (Taiwan) that provides unrivalled experience in coral reproductive biology, and superb microcosm facilities, and the other (Moorea), with access to a relatively pristine environment, a well described ecological and oceanographic context (through the MCR-LTER), and the capacity to bring a strong biogeographic contrast to the project. The results of the study will be integrated through modeling to explore the effects of GCC on coral community structure over the next century.

The following publications and data resulted from this project:

2013    Wall CB, Fan TY, Edmunds PJ.  Ocean acidification has no effect on thermal bleaching in the coral Seriatopora caliendrum.  Coral Reefs 33: 119-130.
Symbiodinium_Seriatopora photosynthesis
Symbiodinium_Seriatopora PI curve
Symbiodinium_Seriatopora temp-salinity-light
Symbiodinium_Seriatopora water chemistry
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2013    Wall CB, Edmunds PJ. In situ effects of low pH and elevated HCO3- on juvenile Porites spp. in Moorea, French Polynesia.  Biological Bulletin 225:92-101.
Data at MCR and PANGEA: doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.833913
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2013    Vivian R Cumbo, Peter J Edmunds, Christopher B Wall, Tung-Yung Fan. Brooded coral larvae differ in their response to high temperature and elevated pCO2 depending on the day of release.  Marine Biology DOI 10.1007/s00227-013-2280-y.
Data also at PANGEA: doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.831612
brooded coral larvae 2 - carbonate chemistry
brooded coral larvae 2 - larval release March 2003-2008
brooded coral larvae 2 - respiration_photosyth_mortality
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2013    Edmunds PJ, Cumbo VR, Fan TY. Metabolic costs of larval settlement and metamorphosis in the coral Seriatopora caliendrum under ambient and elevated pCO2.  Journal Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 443: 33-38 Data also at PANGEA: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.821644
Coral post-settlement physiology
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2013    Aaron M Dufault, Aaron Ninokawa, Lorenzo Bramanti, Vivian R Cumbo, Tung-Yung Fan, Peter J Edmunds.  The role of light in mediating the effects of ocean acidification on coral calcification.  Journal of Experimental Biology 216: 1570-1577.
coral-light expt.- PAR
coral-light expt.- carbonate chemistry
coral-light expt.- temp_salinity
coral-light expt.- growth
coral-light expt.- protein
coral-light expt.- survival
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2012    Cumbo, VR, Fan TY, Edmunds PJ. Effects of exposure duration on the response of Pocillopora damicornis larvae to elevated temperature and high pCO2.  J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 439: 100-107.
Data is also at PANGEA: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.823582
brooded coral larvae 3 - carbonate chemistry
brooded coral larvae 3 - light
brooded coral larvae 3 - mortality
brooded coral larvae 3 - protein
brooded coral larvae 3 - respiration and protein
brooded coral larvae 3 - respiration raw data
brooded coral larvae 3 - symbiont density
brooded coral larvae 3 - tank temperature
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- Download tank parameters data for this publication (Excel file)

2012    Cumbo, VR, Fan TY, Edmunds PJ.  Physiological development of brooded larvae from two pocilloporid corals in Taiwan.  Marine Biology 159: 2853-2866.
brooded coral - carbonate chemistry
brooded coral - release
brooded coral - respiration
brooded coral - settlement competency
brooded coral - size_July
brooded coral - size_protein_symbionts_photosynth
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2012    Dufault, Aaron M; Vivian R Cumbo; Tung-Yung Fan; Peter J Edmunds.  Effects of diurnally oscillating pCO2 on the calcification and survival of coral recruits.  Royal Society of London (B) 279: 2951-2958.  doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.2545
Data is also at PANGEA: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.830185
recruit_growth_area
recruit_growth_weight
recruit_seawater_chemistry
recruit_survival
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2011    Edmunds PJ, Cumbo V, Fan TY.  Effects of temperature on the respiration of brooded larvae from tropical reef corals.  Journal of Experimental Biology 214: 2783-2790. 
CoralLarvae_comparison_respir
CoralLarvae_release
CoralLarvae_respir
CoralLarvae_size
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DatasetLatest Version DateCurrent State
Transect information on studies conducted in Nanwan Bay, Taiwan.2018-09-18Final no updates expected
Seawater data from long-term monitoring sites in St. John, USVI.2018-09-18Final no updates expected
Physiological data from coral sampled on long-term monitoring sites in St. John, USVI.2018-09-18Final no updates expected
Demography of coral in the future and various physical parameter predictions.2018-09-18Final no updates expected
Field observations from long-term monitoring sites in St. John, USVI.2018-09-18Final no updates expected
Fecundity of coral size classes sampled at Nanwan Bay, Taiwan.2018-09-18Final no updates expected
Coral growth on long-term monitoring sites in St. John, USVI.2018-09-18Final no updates expected
Respiration of brooded coral larvae at high and ambient temperature and pCO2, Taiwan, March 2011 (Cumbo et al, JEMBE, 2013) (MCR LTER & Climate Coral Larvae projects)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Settling and mortality measurements of brooded coral larvae at high and ambient temperature and pCO2, Taiwan, March 2011 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Seawater carbonate chemistry from experiment on brooded coral larval, March 2011, Taiwan (Cumbo et al, JEMBE, 2013) (MCR LTER & Climate Coral Larvae projects)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Respiration and protein content of brooded coral larvae at high and ambient temperature and pCO2, Taiwan, March 2011 (Cumbo et al, JEMBE, 2013) (MCR LTER & Climate Coral Larvae projects)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Light data in tanks from experiment on brooded coral larval, Taiwan, March 2011 (Cumbo et al, JEMBE, 2013) (MCR LTER & Climate Coral Larvae projects)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Symbiont Symbiodinium density in brooded coral larvae at high and ambient temperature and pCO2, Taiwan, March 2011 (Cumbo et al, JEMBE, 2013) (MCR LTER & Climate Coral Larvae projects)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Temperature data from tanks from experiment on brooded coral larval, Taiwan, March 2011 (Cumbo et al, JEMBE, 2013) (MCR LTER & Climate Coral Larvae projects)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Protein content of brooded coral larvae at high and ambient temperature and pCO2, March 2011 (Cumbo et al, JEMBE, 2013) (MCR LTER & Climate Coral Larvae projects)2014-10-07Final no updates expected
Seawater carbonate chemistry from experiment on brooded coral larval, June and July 2010, Taiwan (Cumbo, 2012)(MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-09-08Final no updates expected
Brooded coral larval respiration (Cumbo, 2012) from Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-09-08Final no updates expected
Brooded coral larval settlement competency (Cumbo, 2012) from Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-09-08Final no updates expected
Brooded coral larval release schedule relative to lunar day from P. damicornis and S. caliendrum in Taiwan, June and July 2010 (Cumbo, 2012) (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-09-08Final no updates expected
Brooded coral larval size from July 2010 experiment (Cumbo, 2012) Taiwan(MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-09-08Final no updates expected
Brooded coral larval size, protein content, symbiont (Symbiodinium) densities, maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Cumbo, 2012) from Taiwan, 2010 (Cumbo, 2012) (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-09-08Final no updates expected
Growth measurements from coral-light experiments (Dufault, 2013, JEB), Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Temperature and salinity measurements from coral-light experiments (Dufault, 2013, JEB), Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Seawater carbonate chemistry for brooded coral larval experiments, Taiwan, March 2011 and 2012 (Cumbo, 2013)(MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Survival of coral larvae from coral-light experiments (Dufault, 2013, JEB), Taiwan from 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Carbonate chemistry measurements from coral-light experiments (Dufault, 2013, JEB), Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Respiration rates, photosynthetic efficiency, and mortality of brooded coral larval experiments, March 2011 and 2012, Taiwan (Cumbo, 2013) (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Protein measurements from coral-light experiments (Dufault, 2013, JEB), Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Historical larval release of P. damicornis, Taiwan, March 2003-2008 (Cumbo, 2013) (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Light measurements from coral-light experiments (Dufault, 2013, JEB) from Taiwan, 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-30Final no updates expected
Coral post-settlement physiology at high pCO2: respiration, protein content, seawater properties and carbonate chemistry, Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-26Final no updates expected
Seriatopora bleaching expt: temperature, salinity, light in tanks, Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-12Final no updates expected
Seriatopora bleaching expt: Photosynthesis:irradiance (P/I) curves, Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-12Final no updates expected
Symbiodinium cell density, chlorophyll, respiration, photosynthetic yield in Seriatopora coral, Taiwan, 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-12Final no updates expected
Seriatopora bleaching expt: water pH and carbonate chemistry, Taiwan 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-08-12Final no updates expected
Experimental results of seawater chemistry for coral recruits in variable CO2 collected from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar., Taiwan in 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-06-13Preliminary and in progress
Coral recruit growth measured by weight change from calcification during CO2 experiments collected from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar., Taiwan in 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-04-09Preliminary and in progress
Experimental results of coral recruit survivorship in variable CO2 collected from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar., Taiwan in 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-03-20Preliminary and in progress
Experimental results of coral recruit growth as a function of corallite area change in variable CO2, from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar., Taiwan in 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2014-03-20Preliminary and in progress
Experimental results of coral larvae release data from the field and laboratory, collected from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar., Taiwan in 2010 (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2012-11-30Final no updates expected
Coral larvae respiration collected from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar., Taiwan in 2010 (Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2012-11-28Final no updates expected
Coral larvae size and mass collected from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar. during 2010 from Taiwan (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2012-11-26Final no updates expected
Coral larvae respiration from literature collected from the Natl Museum Mar. Bio. and Aquar. during 2010 from Taiwan (MCR LTER project, Climate_Coral_Larvae project)2012-11-21Final no updates expected

People

Principal Investigator: Peter J. Edmunds
California State University Northridge (CSUN)

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Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation