Coral acclimation to global warming: Uncovering the mechanisms of coral-symbiont dynamics and symbiont change
Coral reefs are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems on our planet. However, they are threatened by global and anthropogenic stressors. In particular, ocean warming is a major driver of coral bleaching, a process marked by the disruption of the coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis and subsequent symbiont loss, which increases the risk of starvation and eventual coral death. There are different species of dinoflagellates and the genus Durusdinium is generally considered as a thermally resistant symbiont, providing its coral host with higher tolerance to increasing temperatures.
My research focuses on how environmental stressors, such as high temperature and high irradiance, can induce changes in the symbiotic communities of two hard coral species, either through the acquisition of new heat-tolerant symbionts or by internal shuffling of symbionts already present within the coral holobiont. Through this research, I intend to uncover the physiological and ecological mechanisms driving symbiont change in corals and determine the environmental conditions that promote such shifts. To better understand how symbiont change influences coral resistance to thermal stress, I will also explore the trade-offs in the physiological performance of the coral holobiont.
Understanding the mechanisms driving shifts in symbiont community composition could open up opportunities to manipulate the abundance of heat-resistant symbionts in natural coral populations, thereby improving their resilience to thermal stress. This project will also collaborate with the ZMT to support the development of a predictive mathematical model that incorporates the mechanisms underlying coral adaptation to thermal stress.
