Search

Microbial diversity has been extensively explored in reef-building corals. However, the functional roles of coral-associated microorganisms remain poorly elucidated. Here, we recover 191 bacterial and 10 archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from the coral Acropora kenti (formerly A. tenuis) and adjacent seawater, to identify microbial functions and metabolic interactions within the holobiont. We show that 82 MAGs were specific to the A. kenti holobiont, including members of the Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, and Desulfobacterota. A. kenti-specific MAGs displayed significant differences in their genomic features and functional potential relative to seawater-specific MAGs, with a higher prevalence of genes involved in host immune system evasion, nitrogen and carbon fixation, and synthesis of five essential B-vitamins. We find a diversity of A. kenti-specific MAGs encode the biosynthesis of essential amino acids, such as tryptophan, histidine, and lysine, which cannot be de novo synthesised by the host or Symbiodiniaceae. Across a water quality gradient spanning 2° of latitude, A. kenti microbial community composition is correlated to increased temperature and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, with corresponding enrichment in molecular chaperones, nitrate reductases, and a heat-shock protein. We reveal mechanisms of A. kenti-microbiome-symbiosis on the Great Barrier Reef, highlighting the interactions underpinning the health of this keystone holobiont. This study provides insights into the functional roles of microbial symbionts within the reef-building coral Acropora kenti. The findings reveal molecular mechanisms underpinning coral health and adaptation to local environmental stressors, which may support host resilience in the face of anthropogenic climate change and pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Back‐to‐back marine heatwaves in 2016 and 2017 resulted in severe coral bleaching and mortality across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Encouragingly, some corals that survived these events exhibit increased bleaching resistance and may represent thermally tolerant populations that can better cope with ocean warming. Using the GBR as a natural laboratory, we investigated whether a history of minimal (Heron Island) or severe (Lizard Island) coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017 equates to stress tolerance in a successive heatwave (2020). We examined the genetic diversity, physiological performance, and trophic plasticity of juvenile (<10 cm) and adult (>25 cm) corals of two common genera (Pocillopora and Stylophora). Despite enduring greater cumulative heat stress (6.3°C week−1 vs. 5.6°C week−1), corals that experienced the third marine heatwave in 5 years (Lizard) exhibited twice as high survival and visual bleaching thresholds compared to corals that had not experienced significant bleaching in >10 years (Heron). Surprisingly, only one shared host–Symbiodiniaceae association was uncovered between locations (Stylophora pistillata–Cladocopium "C8 group") and there was no genetic overlap in Pocillopora–Cladocopium partnerships, suggesting turnover in species composition from recent marine heatwaves. Corals within the species complex Pocillopora that survived the 2016 and 2017 marine heatwaves at Lizard Island were the most resilient, exhibiting three times greater calcification rates than conspecifics at Heron Island. Further, surviving corals (Lizard) had distinct isotopic niches, lower host carbon, and greater host protein, while conspecifics that had not experienced recent bleaching (Heron) had two times greater symbiont carbon content, suggesting divergent trophic strategies that influenced survival (i.e., greater reliance on heterotrophy vs. symbiont autotrophy, respectively). Ultimately, while corals may experience less bleaching and survive repeated thermal stress events, species‐specific trade‐offs do occur, leaving open many questions related to the long‐term health and recovery of coral reef ecosystems in the face of intensifying marine heatwaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element and is generally considered to be one of the least toxic metals to aquatic organisms, with chronic effects rarely seen at concentrations below 1000 µg/L. Anthropogenic activities lead to elevated concentrations of Mn in tropical marine waters. Limited data suggest that Mn is more acutely toxic to adults than to early life stages of scleractinian corals in static renewal tests. However, to enable the inclusion of sufficient sensitive coral data in species sensitivity distributions to derive water quality guideline values for Mn, we determined the acute toxicity of Mn to the adult scleractinian coral, Acropora muricata, in flow‐through exposures. The 48‐h median effective concentration was 824 µg Mn/L (based on time‐weighted average, measured, dissolved Mn). The endpoint was tissue sloughing, a lethal process by which coral tissue detaches from the coral skeleton. Tissue sloughing was unrelated to superoxidase dismutase activity in coral tissue, and occurred in the absence of bleaching, that is, toxic effects were observed for the coral host, but not for algal symbionts. We confirm that adult scleractinian corals are uniquely sensitive to Mn in acute exposures at concentrations 10–340 times lower than those reported to cause acute or chronic toxicity to coral early life stages, challenging the traditional notion that early life stages are more sensitive than mature organisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1359–1370. © 2023 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reefs are facing increasingly devasting impacts from ocean warming and acidification due to anthropogenic climate change. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, potential solutions have focused either on reducing light stress during heating, or on the potential for identifying or engineering "super corals". A large subset of these studies, however, have tended to focus primarily on the bleaching response of corals, and assume erroneously that corals that bleach earlier in a thermal event die first. Here, we explore how survival, observable bleaching, coral skeletal growth (as branch extension and densification), and coral tissue growth (protein and lipid concentrations) varies for conspecifics collected from distinctive reef zones at Heron Island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. A reciprocal transplantation experiment was undertaken using the dominant reef building coral (Acropora formosa) between the highly variable reef flat and the less variable reef slope environments. Coral colonies originating from the reef flat had higher rates of survival and amassed greater protein densities but calcified at reduced rates compared to conspecifics originating from the reef slope. The energetics of both populations however potentially benefited from greater light intensity present in the shallows. Reef flat origin corals moved to the lower light intensity of the reef slope reduced protein density and calcification rates. For A. formosa, genetic differences, or long-term entrainment to a highly variable environment, appeared to promote coral survival at the expense of calcification. The response decouples coral survival from carbonate coral reef resilience, a response that was further exacerbated by reductions in irradiance. As we begin to discuss interventions necessitated by the CO2 that has already been released into the atmosphere, we need to prioritise our focus on the properties that maintain valuable carbonate ecosystems. Rapid and dense calcification by corals such as branching Acropora is essential to the ability of carbonate coral reefs to rebound following disturbance events and maintain 3D structure but may be the first property that is sacrificed to enable coral genet survival under stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) dynamics in coastal coral reef areas are poorly understood. We measured dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 (with δ13C‐CO2 and δ13C‐CH4 isotope fractions) and N2O in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to determine spatial distributions and emissions. CO2 (379–589 μatm) was oversaturated due to calcification and riverine sources, as indicated by depleted δ13C‐CO2 values. CH4 (1.5–13.5 nM) was also oversaturated from nearshore biogenic sources indicated by depleted δ13C‐CH4 and probable offshore aerobic production. N2O (5.5–6.6 nM) was generally undersaturated, with uptake highest near the coast. Daily CO2 emissions were 5826 ± 1191 tonnes, with CO2 equivalent (eq) N2O uptake (191 ± 44 tonnes) offsetting 3.3% of CO2 or 89% of CH4eq (214 ± 45 tonnes) emissions based on 20‐year global warming potentials. The GBR was a slight CO2 and CH4 source and N2O sink during our study. However, further work is required to constrain diurnal, seasonal, and spatial dynamics. Plain Language Summary: The oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but can emit the more potent greenhouse gases of methane and nitrous oxide. Large uncertainties remain in oceanic greenhouse gas budgets due to variation in regional emissions from environmental factors such as upwelling, oxygen depletion, continental nutrient inputs and sedimentary processes in coastal areas. Here, we measured dissolved carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon to characterize spatial distributions, drivers, and emissions. The lagoon was a minor source of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere, with higher emissions near the coast. The primary carbon dioxide source was calcification, where carbon dioxide is produced when organisms build calcium carbonate skeletons. Methane concentrations were highest along the coast, likely from river and groundwater inputs and in‐situ production. Nitrous oxide was slightly undersaturated in the lagoon waters compared to atmospheric concentrations. Overall, the nitrous oxide uptake offset 3.2% of the combined carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the lagoon during the study period. These findings indicate coral reef greenhouse gas dynamics contrast with most open oceanic systems. Key Points: The Great Barrier Reef lagoon was a source of CO2 and CH4 and a N2O sinkCH4 was supersaturated despite well oxygenated seawatersN2O (CO2 equivalent) uptake offset 3.2% of the combined CO2 and CH4 emissions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limestone skeleton of Scleractinian corals is a complex and intricate environment consisting of an array of ecological microniches, which harbour a vast microbial community. In addition, recent studies have demonstrated that endolithic microbes play a variety of important ecological roles. Here, we use a combination of metabarcoding of the small subunit rRNA genes, microscopy and spectrophotometry to characterize the endolithic community of the coral Isopora palifera, one of the most common reef builders of the Great Barrier Reef. While a previous study suggested that the Isopora skeleton was dominated by anoxygenic phototrophs, our data show an abundance of chlorophyll a, highlighting the presence of oxygenic photosynthetic endolithic microbes. Proteobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Actinobacteria and Spirochaetes were consistently found, and the bacterial community was similar in shallow and deeper skeletal micro-samples. The micro-eukaryotic community was dominated by endolithic green algae, and the protist Labyrynthula, found at previously unreported high relative abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Halimeda bioherms have accumulated on the outer continental shelf from calcium carbonate algal sediments over the past ∼10,000 years and cover >6,000 km2 of shelf area. As such, Halimeda bioherms play a key role in the shallow marine carbon cycle over millennial timescales. The main source of nitrogen (N) to these bioherms is thought to be westward transport of upwelled NO3‐‐rich water from the Coral Sea. However, the primary N source has not been traced geochemically, and we have no understanding of any temporal variation. Here, we reconstruct patterns of N supply to Halimeda bioherms in the GBR since the mid‐Holocene using the 15N/14N ratio of skeletal‐bound organic N (δ15N‐skeletal organic material [SOM]) in modern and fossil Halimeda sediment cores. Average Halimeda skeletal δ15N‐SOM was 6.28 ± 0.26‰, consistent with δ15N‐NO3‐ from western tropical South Pacific (WTSP) thermocline waters. Thus, geochemically validating shelf‐break upwelling of an oceanic N source that regulates bioherm spatial distribution. Halimeda δ15N‐SOM decreased by 1‰–2‰ from 5,000 to 2,000 cal. yr BP, reaching a minima of 5.5‰ that persisted for almost 1,000 years. The Halimeda δ15N‐SOM variation reflects mid‐ to late Holocene changes in regional climate and intensified El Niño activity that likely facilitated elevated N2 fixation in the WTSP, thereby lowering thermocline δ15N‐NO3‐. Thus, Halimeda skeletal material provides a valuable high‐resolution geochemical archive of past oceanographic and climatic processes over centennial to millennial timescales, complementing existing paleoclimate proxy records. Key Points: Well‐preserved fossil Halimeda is a valuable geochemical proxy archive of millennial‐scale oceanographic and climatic processesNitrogen (N) supply to Halimeda bioherms originates from western tropical South Pacific thermocline waters since at least the past 5,000 yearsHalimeda15N signature records a 1‰–2‰ change in δ15N‐skeletal organic material (SOM) concurrent with regional climate variation and the El Niño Southern Oscillation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently no reliable geochemical proxy of historical coral bleaching. Here we test the hypothesis that increases in the nitrogen isotopic signature of coral tissue, which is recorded in skeletal-bound organic material (CS-δ15N), can be used to detect coral bleaching events in the past. We measured CS-δ15N in coral colonies that showed high density thermal stress bands associated with the 1998 and 2002 mass bleaching events on the central Great Barrier Reef. Analysis of coral cores from 2 inshore and 1 mid-shelf reef found that increases in CS-δ15N occurred either side of the thermal stress events and were therefore unlikely to be a physiological response to bleaching. We then assessed whether CS-δ15N could be used to detect shelf-wide upwelling, which has been previously shown to coincide with mass bleaching events. For the inshore sites the response of CS-δ15N to upwelling was not uniform between reefs or between colonies from the same reef. However, on the mid-shelf reef, increased CS-δ15N during the known upwelling of 1998 was more consistent between cores. Analysis of a 23-year old coral core from the mid-shelf reef showed increased CS-δ15N between 1983–1985 and 1997–2000, periods where strong El Niño events were proceeded by intense wind-driven upwelling. We conclude that coral CS-δ15N is not a direct proxy for coral bleaching but can be used to detect prolonged and pervasive upwelling that coincides with mass bleaching events. Further validation with longer core records is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow, permeable calcium carbonate (CaCO3) sediments make up a large proportion of the benthic cover on coral reefs and account for a large fraction of the standing stock of CaCO3. There have been a number of laboratory, mesocosm, and in situ studies examining shallow sediment metabolism and dissolution, but none of these have considered seasonal variability. Advective benthic chambers were used to measure in situ net community calcification (NCC) rates of CaCO3 sediments on Heron Island, Australia (Great Barrier Reef) over an annual cycle. Sediments were, on average, net precipitating during the day and net dissolving at night throughout the year. Night dissolution rates (−NCCNIGHT) were highest in the austral autumn and lowest in the austral winter driven by changes in respiration (R) and to a lesser extent temperature and Ωarag/pH. Similarly, precipitation during the day (+NCCDAY) was highest in March and lowest in winter, driven primarily by benthic net primary production (NPP) and temperature. On average, sediments were net precipitating over a diel cycle (NCC24h) but shifted to net dissolving in July and December. This shift was largely caused by the differential effects of seasonal cycles in organic metabolism and carbonate chemistry on NCCDAY and NCCNIGHT. The results from this study highlight the large variability in sediment CaCO3 dynamics and the need to include repeated measurements over different months and seasons, particularly in shallow reef systems that can experience large swings in light, temperature, and carbonate chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic nutrient discharge to coastal marine environments is commonly associated with excessive algal growth and ecosystem degradation. However in the world's largest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the response to enhanced terrestrial nutrient inputs since European settlement in the 1850's remains unclear. Here we use a 333 year old composite record (1680–2012) of 15N/14N in coral skeleton-bound organic matter to understand how nitrogen cycling in the coastal GBR has responded to increased anthropogenic nutrient inputs. Our major robust finding is that the coral record shows a long-term decline in skeletal 15N/14N towards the present. We argue that this decline is evidence for increased coastal nitrogen fixation rather than a direct reflection of anthropogenic nitrogen inputs. Reducing phosphorus discharge and availability would short-circuit the nitrogen fixation feedback loop and help avoid future acute and chronic eutrophication in the coastal GBR. Coastal pollution degrades ecosystems, but long term impacts are unknown in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Using a 333 year record of coral skeleton nitrogen isotopes, Erler and colleagues show that increasing nutrient inputs since European settlement have led to unexpected feedback responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean acidification is a threat to marine ecosystems globally. In shallow-water systems, however, ocean acidification can be masked by benthic carbon fluxes, depending on community composition, seawater residence time, and the magnitude and balance of net community production (NCP) and calcification (NCC). Here, we examine how six benthic groups from a coral reef environment on Heron Reef (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) contribute to changes in the seawater aragonite saturation state (Ωa). Results of flume studies using intact reef habitats (1.2m by 0.4 m), showed a hierarchy of responses across groups, depending on CO2 level, time of day and water flow. At low CO2 (350-450 μatm), macroalgae (Chnoospora implexa), turfs and sand elevated Ωa of the flume water by around 0.10 to 1.20 h-1 -- normalised to contributions from 1m² of benthos to a 1m deep water column. The rate of Ωa increase in these groups was doubled under acidification (560-700 μatm) and high flow (35 compared to 8 cm s-1). In contrast, branching corals (Acropora aspera) increased Ωa by 0.25 h-1 at ambient CO2 (350-450 μatm) during the day, but reduced Ωa under acidification and high flow. Nighttime changes in Ωa by corals were highly negative (0.6-0.8 h-1) and exacerbated by acidification. Calcifying macroalgae (Halimeda spp.) raised Ωa by day (by around 0.13 h-1), but lowered Ωaby a similar or higher amount at night. Analyses of carbon flux contributions from benthic communities with four different compositions to the reef water carbon chemistry across Heron Reef flat and lagoon indicated that the net lowering of Ωa by coral-dominated areas can to some extent be countered by long water-residence times in neighbouring areas dominated by turfs, macroalgae and carbonate sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean acidification, via an anthropogenic increase in seawater carbon dioxide ( CO2), is potentially a major threat to coral reefs and other marine ecosystems. However, our understanding of how natural short-term diurnal CO2 variability in coral reefs influences longer term anthropogenic ocean acidification remains unclear. Here, we combine observed natural carbonate chemistry variability with future carbonate chemistry predictions for a coral reef flat in the Great Barrier Reef based on the RCP8.5 CO2 emissions scenario. Rather than observing a linear increase in reef flat partial pressure of CO2 ( p CO2) in concert with rising atmospheric concentrations, the inclusion of in situ diurnal variability results in a highly nonlinear threefold amplification of the p CO2 signal by the end of the century. This significant nonlinear amplification of diurnal p CO2 variability occurs as a result of combining natural diurnal biological CO2 metabolism with long-term decreases in seawater buffer capacity, which occurs via increasing anthropogenic CO2 absorption by the ocean. Under the same benthic community composition, the amplification in the variability in p CO2 is likely to lead to exposure to mean maximum daily p CO2 levels of ca. 2100 μatm, with corrosive conditions with respect to aragonite by end-century at our study site. Minimum p CO2 levels will become lower relative to the mean offshore value (ca. threefold increase in the difference between offshore and minimum reef flat p CO2) by end-century, leading to a further increase in the p CO2 range that organisms are exposed to. The biological consequences of short-term exposure to these extreme CO2 conditions, coupled with elevated long-term mean CO2 conditions are currently unknown and future laboratory experiments will need to incorporate natural variability to test this. The amplification of p CO2 that we describe here is not unique to our study location, but will occur in all shallow coastal environments where high biological productivity drives large natural variability in carbonate chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]