Coast-reef scale physiological responses of Acropora muricata harboring Symbiodinium clade A

Coast-reef scale physiological responses of Acropora muricata harboring Symbiodinium clade A Yohan D. Louis, Sabrina D. Dyall, Ranjeet Bhagooli

Abstract

Coral bleaching events are increasing worldwide as a result of climate change.

Coral show differential bleaching susceptibilities depending on host and/or symbiont responses to changing environmental factors. Coral responses have been shown to vary over broad geographical

scales

with

thermally-disparate

environments.

Of

these,

physiological

characteristics such as Symbiodinium density and size, chlorophyll a content and estimated productivity along a coast-reef scale (