OCE-PRF: Investigating ontogenetic shifts in microbe-derived nutrition in reef building corals

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Coral reefs are economically and ecologically valuable resources. Nutritional partnerships between organisms (i.e., symbioses) have allowed for the ecological success of reef-building corals. Dinoflagellate algae live within the coral tissues and produce energy through photosynthesis. The nutrition produced by the symbiont can be used by the coral to support growth, reproduction, and survival. However, climate change-driven ocean warming damages this symbiotic relationship and leads to coral bleaching and mortality. The survival of early life stages of corals is critical for reef recovery, but young corals are particularly vulnerable to stress. The fellow will investigate how ocean warming impacts the symbiotic relationship in young corals and resulting capacity to survive and recruit to reefs. Through experiments conducted in Hawaiʻi, USA and Moʻorea, French Polynesia, the fellow will characterize the development of the coral-algal symbiosis and investigate the effects of thermal stress on nutritional exchange in early life history. Through this research, the fellow will involve local students in the research process and develop public education resources to strengthen connections between scientific knowledge and reef conservation efforts. Addressing these critical areas of research paired with building connections between public education and scientific discovery will advance knowledge of coral reef recruitment and capacity to conserve reefs under climate change. This project will characterize symbiotic nutritional exchange in early life history stages of dominant reef-building corals in Hawaiʻi and Moʻorea using multi-omic approaches. First, this research will track temporal dynamics of ontogenetic nutritional exchange across life history strategies by integrating responses across molecular (i.e., gene expression), metabolomic (i.e., stable isotope metabolomics), microbial (i.e., 16S and ITS2 amplicon sequencing), physiological (i.e., energy expenditure and reserves), and organismal scales (i.e., survival and growth). Second, the fellow will apply these integrated tools and approaches to investigate the impact of thermal stress on symbiotic stability and coral holobiont fitness outcomes by exposing key developmental stages to high temperature and tracking subsequent shifts in symbiotic nutritional exchange. This examination of coral-algal symbiotic exchange in early life history will advance understanding of reef recruitment under ocean warming. While working in Hawaiʻi and Moʻorea, the fellow will work with local communities to develop public education displays (e.g., posters, research showcase events) and educational tools (e.g., resources for curriculum development) aimed to strengthen connections between communities and scientific research. The fellow will also mentor students to support the advancement of the next generation of women in science. Together, this research and resulting broader impacts will advance knowledge of the impact of climate change on coral reefs and capacity to conserve reefs by building science-education connections.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.