December 5, 2025Open Access

Genotype and symbiont composition rather than environment influence susceptibility to stony coral tissue loss disease in coral restoration broodstock

Puntos clave

Increased susceptibility to stony coral tissue loss disease can occur in coral broodstock with certain genotypes and higher levels of Breviolum.
Key evidence indicates that specific coral genotypes, when stressed by ocean warming and ocean acidification, may have differing mortality outcomes based on their symbiont composition.
Assessment involved exposing Orbicella faveolata and Pseudodiploria clivosa genotypes to SCTLD while maintaining environmental treatments related to climate change.
Findings underscore the importance of selecting resilient coral broodstock for restoration efforts amidst ongoing environmental stressors.

Resumen

Over the last several decades, Florida's Coral Reef has been impacted by global and local stressors causing significant declines in living coral with no signs of natural recovery. Ocean warming, ocean acidification, and infectious diseases are major contributors to the precipitous loss of corals within this region. Since 2014, the stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) outbreak has been particularly devastating, causing unprecedented mortality in over 20 massive coral species. As SCTLD is now endemic in the region, and threats from climate change are likely to persist, studying the disease susceptibility of different coral genotypes under future environmental scenarios is vital for effective restoration. Here, we exposed Orbicella faveolata and Pseudodiploria clivosa genotypes to wild colonies showing signs consistent with SCTLD immediately following a 2-month long exposure to ocean warming (OW) and ocean acidification (OA) scenarios. Corals were exposed to SCTLD for 3 weeks while maintaining the environmental treatments. For both species, pre-exposure to OW and OA scenarios did not make corals more susceptible to SCTLD. However, three genotypes hosting higher levels of Breviolum were at increased risk for showing SCTLD signs under these conditions. One O. faveolata genotype was consistently resistant to SCTLD under the different scenarios, suggesting that natural levels of resistance exist in coral restoration broodstock. Understanding why this genotype could withstand exposure to these stressors may be critical for ensuring survival of restored populations into the future.

Preguntar a la IA

Me gusta

Guardar

Ver artículo completo