EAPSI:Transgenerational Impacts of Coral Bleaching on Larval Dispersal and Recruitment Success

珊瑚礁是多样而宝贵的生态系统;然而，由于海洋变暖等许多压力因素，珊瑚礁正在退化。由于海洋变暖，珊瑚变得紧张，可以漂白。当生活在珊瑚组织中的共生藻类被排出时，珊瑚白化发生，导致珊瑚呈现白色并失去其主要食物来源。以前的研究表明，漂白对珊瑚繁殖产生负面影响。然而，它仍然是未知的，如果不同的时间漂白事件同样影响珊瑚繁殖。此外，珊瑚白化的跨代影响从未被量化。该项目将评估漂白在生殖周期的不同时期对繁殖、幼虫存活、幼虫扩散和幼鱼存活和生长的影响。这项研究将在日本冲绳的濑子海洋站与琉球大学的萨基哈里博士合作进行。Harii博士是珊瑚生态学专家，将为研究提供实地访问和设施。研究成果将有助于改变目前对珊瑚种群持久性的预测，珊瑚种群通过无性繁殖和有性繁殖从干扰中恢复;然而，由于温度升高影响珊瑚繁殖、幼虫存活和扩散潜力，漂白的跨代影响将决定未来的恢复速度。该项目将评估珊瑚漂白对育雏珊瑚Pocillopora damicornis的跨代影响。幼虫的生存和竞争力动态数据将被用来校准扩散模型和项目自我招聘和扩散潜力。据推测，漂白将减少分配给卵的能量，导致幼虫存活率降低，并可能改变能力的获得率。生存和能力动态的这些变化将对扩散潜力和招募成功产生重大影响，从而影响种群动态和恢复率。这个NSF EAPSI奖是与日本科学促进协会合作资助的。

Coral reefs are diverse and valuable ecosystems; however, coral reefs are experiencing degradation due to many stressors, including ocean warming. As a result of ocean warming, corals become stressed and can bleach. Coral bleaching occurs when the symbiotic algae living in the coral tissues are expelled, causing the coral to appear white and lose its major source of food. Previous studies show that bleaching negatively impacts coral reproduction. However, it remains unknown if different timings of bleaching events equally affect coral reproduction. Additionally, the transgenerational impacts of coral bleaching have never been quantified. This project will assess the impact of bleaching at different times of the reproductive cycle on reproduction, larval survival, larval dispersal, and juvenile survival and growth. This research will be conducted at Sesoko Marine Station in Okinawa, Japan in collaboration with Dr. Saki Harii at University of the Ryukyus. Dr. Harii is an expert is coral ecology and will provide field access and facilities for the research. The research outputs will contribute to transform existing predictions of the persistence of coral populations.Coral populations recover from disturbances through asexual and sexual reproduction; however, as increased temperature affects coral reproduction, larval survival and dispersal potential the transgenerational effects of bleaching will dictate the future rates of recovery. This project will assess the transgenerational impacts of coral bleaching in the brooding coral Pocillopora damicornis. Larval survival and competency dynamics data will be used to calibrate dispersal models and project self-recruitment and dispersal potential. It is hypothesized that bleaching will decrease the energy allocated to eggs, leading to reduced larval survival and potentially alter rates of acquisition of competency. These changes in survival and competency dynamics would have significant impacts on dispersal potential and recruitment success, thus influencing population dynamics and recovery rates. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.