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Major bleaching events can lead to increased thermal tolerance in corals

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Abstract

Climate change is a major threat to coral reef ecosystems worldwide. A key determinant of the fate of reef corals in a warming climate is their capacity to tolerate increasing thermal stress. Here, an increase in thermal tolerance is demonstrated for three major coral genera (Acropora, Pocillopora and Porites) following the extensive mass bleaching event that occurred on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) in 1998. During the subsequent and more severe thermal stress event in 2002, bleaching severity was 30–100% lower than predicted from the relationship between severity and thermal stress in 1998, despite higher solar irradiances during the 2002 thermal event. Coral genera most susceptible to thermal stress (Pocillopora and Acropora) showed the greatest increase in tolerance. Although bleaching was severe in 1998, whole-colony mortality was low at most study sites. Therefore, observed increases in thermal tolerance cannot be explained by selective mortality alone, suggesting a capacity for acclimatization or adaptation. Although the vulnerability of coral reefs remains largely dependent on the rate and extent of climate change, such increase in thermal tolerance may delay the onset of mass coral mortalities in time for the implementation of low-emission scenarios and effective management.

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Acknowledgments

We thank P. J. Turner from CSIRO for help with SST analyses, R. Berkelmans for providing bleaching survey and in situ temperature data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and Manuel Nunez for data on surface irradiance, A. Baird, T. Hughes, D. Bellwood, D. Blair, C. Smith and A. Kerswell for comments on the manuscript and M. Hoogenboom for assistance with graphs. The Australian Greenhouse Office, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and grants from the University of Melbourne and the Applied Environmental Decision Analysis CERF Hub (JAM and PAM) all supported this work, as well as grants from the Australian Research Council and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies to KRNA and IM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, 2-68 Flinders St, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia

    J. A. Maynard & P. A. Marshall

  2. Australian Centre of Excellence for Risk Analysis, School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

    J. A. Maynard

  3. Centre for Marine Studies, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    K. R. N. Anthony

  4. School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    I. Masiri

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  1. J. A. Maynard
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Correspondence to J. A. Maynard.

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Communicated by H.O. Pörtner.

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Maynard, J.A., Anthony, K.R.N., Marshall, P.A. et al. Major bleaching events can lead to increased thermal tolerance in corals. Mar Biol 155, 173–182 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-1015-y

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