Chartrand, Kathryn M., Durako, Michael Joseph, and Blum, James E. (2009) Effect of hyposalinity on the photophysiology of Siderastrea radians. Marine Biology, 156. pp. 1691-1702.

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Abstract

Tolerance to hyposalinity of the scleractinian coral S. radians was examined in a mesocosm study. Colonies of S. radians were collected from five basins in Florida Bay, USA, which occur along a northeast-to-southwest salinity gradient. Salinity treatments were based on historical salinity records for these basins. Photophysiology of the endosymbiont Symbiodinium spp. (maximum quantum yield; F (v)/F (m)) was measured as an indicator of holobiont stress to hyposalinity. Colonies from each basin were assigned four salinity treatments [The Practical Salinity Scale (PSS) was used to determine salinity. Units are not assigned to salinity values because it is a ratio and has no unit as defined by UNESCO (UNESCO Technical papers no. 45, IAPSO Pub. Sci. No. 32, Paris, France, 1985)] (30, 20, 15, and 10) and salinities were reduced 2 per day from ambient (30) to simulate a natural salinity decrease. Colonies treated with salinities of 20 and 15 showed no decrease in F (v)/F (m) versus controls (i.e. 30), up to 5 days after reaching their target salinity. This indicates a greater ability to withstand reduced salinity for relatively extended periods of time in S. radians compared to other reef species. Within 1 day after salinity of 10 was reached, there was a significant reduction in F (v)/F (m), indicating a critical threshold for hyposaline tolerance. At the lowest treatment salinity (10), F (v)/F (m) for the more estuarine, northeast-basin colonies were significantly higher than the most marine southwest-basin colonies (Twin Key Basin). Our results suggest that historical salinity ranges within basins determine coral population salinity tolerances.

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