Shallow corals acclimate to mesophotic depths while maintaining their heat tolerance against ongoing climate change.

Global warming poses a significant threat to coral reefs. It has been assumed that mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, 30 to 150 m depths) may serve as refugia from ocean warming. This study examined the acclimation capacity and thermal tolerance of two shallow coral species, Porites cylindrica and Turbinaria reniformis, transplanted to mesophotic depths (40 m) for 12 months.

Plasticity of shallow reef corals across a depth gradient.

Global warming harms coral reefs. Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) have been suggested to serve as refugia for shallow reefs. Information on the adaptation potential of shallow corals at MCEs is a prerequisite for understanding the refuge potential of MCEs.

Response of resistant larvae of the coral Acropora tenuis to future thermal stress.

Seawater temperatures are rising rapidly and severely due to climate change, negatively affecting coral reef communities. The persistence of coral populations depends on their success during the early life stages. Thermal conditioning during the larval stage can increase coral larvae's ability to tolerate high temperatures in subsequent stages.

Reactions of juvenile coral to three years of consecutive thermal stress.

As global temperatures continue to rise, corals are being exposed to increasing heat stress throughout their early life stages; however, the impact of this phenomenon is poorly understood. We exposed the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis juveniles to ∼26-28 °C (control) and ∼ 31 °C (heat stress) for one week per year over three consecutive years. In the first year of heat stress, >96 % of juveniles survived despite symbiotic algal densities in juvenile corals declining.

Adaptations by the coral Acropora tenuis confer resilience to future thermal stress.

Elevated temperatures cause coral bleaching and reef degradation. However, coral may have strategies to survive by reproducing more heat-tolerable larvae. We examine the direct and carryover effects of thermal stress on fecundity and fitness in the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis.

Genetic species identification and population structure of grouper (Hamilton, 1822) collected from fish markets along the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

Many ecologically important and valuable fisheries marine species have been misidentified in terms of both the statistical data and market demand. Correct identification at the species level and the population genetic structure of the orange-spotted grouper (), a precious fish in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, was tested using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (DNA barcoding) and D-loop sequencing. The results revealed that the species found in the region, including , , , and were all mistakenly grouped together and identified as only .

The early acquisition of symbiotic algae benefits larval survival and juvenile growth in the coral Acropora tenuis.

Larval dispersal and postsettlement survival of corals play significant roles in the maintenance of coral populations. Most corals acquire their symbiotic algae (Symbiodiniaceae) from the environment in each generation (horizontal transmission). For horizontal transmitters, the quick establishment of symbiosis is important for their survival, since the photosynthetic activity of symbiotic algae provides energy.

Baseline assessment of coral diseases in an environmentally extreme environment of the northern Persian Gulf.

The coral diseases are recognized as serious threats to coral reef ecosystems and a major contributor to the reduction of zooxanthellate scleractinian populations worldwide. Quantitative disease surveys can provide important information on the status and trends of coral reef health over the time. In this study, coral disease surveys were carried out during August 2014 and 2015 at designated sites located in the northern Persian Gulf.