Calcification and associated physiological parameters during a stress event in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata

Moya, Aurélie, Ferrier-Pagès, Christine, Furla, Paola, Richier, Sophie, Tambutté, Eric, Allemand, Denis, and Tambutté, Sylvie (2008) Calcification and associated physiological parameters during a stress event in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular and Integrative Physiology, 151 (1). pp. 29-36.

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Abstract

High calcification rates observed in reef coral organisms are due to the symbiotic relationship established between scleractinian corals and their photosynthetic dinoflagellates, commonly called zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae are known to enhance calcification in the light, a process referred as "light-enhanced calcification". The disruption of the relationship between corals and their zooxanthellae leads to bleaching. Bleaching is one of the major causes of the present decline of coral reefs related to climate change and anthropogenic activities. In our aquaria, corals experienced a chemical pollution leading to bleaching and ending with the death of corals. During the time course of this bleaching event, we measured multiple parameters and could evidence four major consecutive steps: 1) at month 1 (January 2005), the stress affected primarily the photosystem II machinery of zooxanthellae resulting in an immediate decrease of photosystem II efficiency, 2) at month 2, the stress affected the photosynthetic production of O₂ by zooxanthellae and the rate of light calcification, 3) at month 3, there was a decrease in both light and dark calcification rates, the appearance of the first oxidative damage in the zooxanthellae, the disruption of symbiosis, 4) and finally the death of corals at month 6.

Item ID: 45248
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1531-4332
Keywords: bleaching, cellulard damage, light and dark calcification rates, light-enhanced calcification, PSII efficiency, photosynthetic rates, skeletal growth rates, zooxanthellae density
Funders: Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region (PACAR), Daniel Jouvance Company (DJC), Government of the Principality of Monaco (GPM)
Date Deposited: 19 Aug 2016 00:28
FoR Codes: 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060203 Ecological Physiology @ 50%
06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0606 Physiology > 060604 Comparative Physiology @ 30%
06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0608 Zoology > 060808 Invertebrate Biology @ 20%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9603 Climate and Climate Change > 960305 Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change @ 50%
97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences @ 50%
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