Publications by authors named "Annabel M Hughes"
Article Synopsis
- Coral reefs worldwide are facing threats from ocean warming, making it crucial to identify coral varieties that can withstand higher temperatures for conservation purposes.
- The study examines three genetically distinct but morphologically similar coral lineages (L1, L2, L3) across different reef conditions: classic reefs with typical environments and extreme reefs with higher temperatures and light challenges.
- Results indicate that each lineage has adapted differently to their environments, with L1 being a classic reef specialist, L3 as an extreme reef specialist, and L2 acting as a generalist, highlighting the varying strategies corals use to survive under stress.
Local adaptation can increase fitness under stable environmental conditions. However, in rapidly changing environments, compensatory mechanisms enabled through plasticity may better promote fitness. Climate change is causing devastating impacts on coral reefs globally and understanding the potential for adaptive and plastic responses is critical for reef management.
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