Physiological and microbiome adaptation of coral Turbinaria peltata in
response to marine heatwaves
Abstract
Against the backdrop of global warming, marine heatwaves are projected
to become increasingly intense and frequent in the future. This trend
poses a potential threat to the survival of corals and has the capacity
to lead to the destruction of entire coral reef ecosystems. Although
many studies have confirmed the resilience of corals to heat stress, but
their ability to withstand repeated heatwave events occurring in nature
remains unclear. In this study, focusing on physiological and symbiotic
microorganism responses, we examined the adaptation and resilience of
Turbinaria peltata after repeated exposed to marine heatwaves. In the
first heatwave, From physiological perspective, Turbinaria peltata
showed the average values of Chl a and endosymbionts increased, while
GST, Caspase-3, CAT, and SOD showed significant decreases (p <
0.05) upon repeated exposure to heatwaves compared to the initial
exposure. In terms of bacteria, the abundance of Leptospira which
functional prediction indicating potential pathogenicity and
intracellular parasitism, increased significantly during the initial
exposure to the heatwave. In contrast, probiotic bacteria such as
Achromobacter arsenitoxydans and Halomonas desiderata, which might
related to mobile elements, biofilm formation, stress-tolerant bacteria,
Gram-positive bacteria, nitrogen uptake, and nitrate uptake, showed
significant increases during the re-exposure to the heatwave. Overall,
the results indicate that Turbinaria peltata adapts to marine heatwaves
through physiological regulation and changes in the microbial community.