Genome-Wide Comparisons Reveal Extensive Divergence Within the Lichen Photobiont Genus, Trebouxia.

The green algal genus Trebouxia is the most frequently encountered photobiont of the lichen symbiosis. The single-celled symbionts have a worldwide distribution, including all continents and climate zones. The vast, largely undescribed, diversity of Trebouxia lineages is currently grouped into four phylogenetic clades (A, C, I, and S), based on a multilocus phylogeny.

Genome-wide analysis to uncover how Pocillopora acuta survives the challenging intertidal environment.

Characterisation of genomic variation among corals can help uncover variants underlying trait differences and contribute towards genotype prioritisation in coastal restoration projects. For example, there is growing interest in identifying resilient genotypes for transplantation, and to better understand the genetic processes that allow some individuals to survive in specific conditions better than others. The coral species Pocillopora acuta is known to survive in a wide range of habitats, from reefs artificial coastal defences, suggesting its potential use as a starter species for ecological engineering efforts involving coral transplantation onto intertidal seawalls.

EmerSense: A low-cost multiparameter logger to monitor occurrence and duration of emersion events within intertidal zones.

The intertidal zone is a harsh environment for marine life as conditions are often both extreme and variable. A wide range of sessile organisms are partially or fully emersed (exposed above the water line) during low tide. In the tropics, when corals are emersed, high light and temperature can be detrimental to their survival.

Among-genotype responses of the coral Pocillopora acuta to emersion: implications for the ecological engineering of artificial coastal defences.

Stony corals are promising transplant candidates for the ecological engineering of artificial coastal defences such as seawalls as they attract and host numerous other organisms. However, seawalls are exposed to a wide range of environmental stressors associated with periods of emersion during low tide such as desiccation and changes in salinity, temperature, and solar irradiance. All of these variables have known deleterious effects on coral physiology, growth, and fitness.

Gene Expression and Photophysiological Changes in Coral Holobiont Following Heat Stress and Recovery.

The ability of corals to withstand changes in their surroundings is a critical survival mechanism for coping with environmental stress. While many studies have examined responses of the coral holobiont to stressful conditions, its capacity to reverse responses and recover when the stressor is removed is not well-understood. In this study, we investigated among-colony responses of from two sites with differing distance to the mainland (Kusu (closer to the mainland) and Raffles Lighthouse (further from the mainland)) to heat stress through differential expression analysis of target genes and quantification of photophysiological metrics.

Differential Response of Coral Assemblages to Thermal Stress Underscores the Complexity in Predicting Bleaching Susceptibility.

Coral bleaching events have been predicted to occur more frequently in the coming decades with global warming. The susceptibility of corals to bleaching during thermal stress episodes is dependent on many factors and an understanding of these underlying drivers is crucial for conservation management. In 2013, a mild bleaching episode ensued in response to elevated sea temperature on the sediment-burdened reefs in Singapore.