Corals thriving in dynamic environments may hold key insights into future coral reefs

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorEpps, Ashleigh
dc.contributor.authorBruce, Morgan N.
dc.contributor.authorGates, Maryssa
dc.contributor.authorFifer, James
dc.contributor.authorDavies, Sarah W
dc.contributor.authorBahr, Keisha
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1873-0004en_US
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1620-2278en_US
dc.creator.orcidhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8092-833Xen_US
dc.date.accessioned2022-05-11T14:00:21Z
dc.date.available2022-05-11T14:00:21Z
dc.date.issued2022-04
dc.description.abstractThe coastal waters of Texas have dynamic environmental conditions and are heavily influenced by anthro- pogenic stressors, which are not conducive for corals. However, cryptic coral species (Astrangia poculata and Oculina diffusa) have been documented in this ecosystem, particularly within manmade channels on jetty rocks connecting the Gulf of Mexico and Corpus Christi Bay. This research explored the strategies that these corals utilize to survive with varying fluctuations in environmental conditions. Extensive in-water-field surveys were conducted in Packery Channel over one year to 1) identify observed corals 2) biologically char- acterize observed corals, 3) document environmental variability, 4) quantify zooplankton abundance, and 5) conduct coral tissue stable isotope analyses. Physical environmental data (e.g., turbidity, temperature, salinity, etc.) was measured weekly during each season (e.g., winter, spring, summer, and fall). Additionally, plankton abundance and diversity measurements were assessed within each season at the highest tide and the lowest tide of the full moon cycle. Corals were collected seasonally (total n=64). Results of this work revealed the species present are Astrangia poculata and Oculina diffusa and that these corals utilize both heterotrophy and autotrophy year-round to withstand extreme environmental conditions including large temperature (9.4-31.5°C) and turbidity (0-95.3 NTU) ranges. Stable isotope analyses suggest heterotrophy to be the dominant feeding mechanism year-round and autotrophy secondarily. Specifically, autotrophic contribution is more prominent during the summer and fall seasons than in the spring and winter seasons which correlates with the environmental data fluctuating the least in the summer and fall. Understanding the nutritional sources of corals in extreme environmental conditions could provide insights into potential phenotypic plasticity and adaptability to anthropogenic influence. Therefore, corals thriving in dynamic environments could provide researchers with the insight they need to understand coral adaptation amid rapidly changing environmental conditions.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.6/90577
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectAhermatypicen_US
dc.subjectinvertebrateen_US
dc.subjectmixotrophyen_US
dc.subjectsymbiosisen_US
dc.subjectaposymbiosisen_US
dc.titleCorals thriving in dynamic environments may hold key insights into future coral reefsen_US
dc.typePresentationen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Epps_MSGSO_Ashleigh Epps.pptx
Size:
46.95 MB
Format:
Microsoft Powerpoint XML
Description:
Presentation
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.72 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

2022 Spring Student Research Symposium Oral Presentation Materials