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Bleaching response of corals and their Symbiodinium communities in southern Africa

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Abstract

The high-latitude coral communities of southern Africa suffered minimal impacts during past mass bleaching events. Recent reports indicate an increase in bleaching frequency during the last decade, yet the actual levels of thermal stress and contributing factors in these bleaching events, and the degree of acclimatisation or adaptation on these reefs are poorly understood. During the 2005 warm-water anomaly in the southern Indian Ocean we conducted bleaching surveys and collected samples for genotyping of the algal symbiont communities at 21 sites in southern Mozambique and South Africa. Coral bleaching reached unprecedented levels and was negatively correlated with both latitude and water depths. Stylophora pistillata and Montipora were the most susceptible taxa, whereas three common branching corals had significantly different bleaching responses (Stylophora > Acropora > Pocillopora). Temperature records indicated that localised strong upwelling events coupled with persistent above-average seawater temperatures may result in accumulated thermal stress leading to bleaching. Symbiodinium in 139 scleractinian corals belonged almost exclusively to clade C, with clade D symbionts present in only 3% of the colonies. Two atypical C subclades were present in Stylophora and Pocillopora colonies and these were more abundant in shallow than deeper sites. Taxon-specific differences in bleaching responses were unrelated to different clades of algal symbionts and suggest that Symbiodinium C subtypes with diverse thermal tolerance, coupled with acclimatisation and morphology of the host colony influence the bleaching response. Additionally, the predominance of putatively thermal-sensitive Symbiodinium in southern African corals may reflect a limited experience of bleaching and emphasises the vulnerability of these reefs to moderate levels of thermal stress.

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Acknowledgments

Permission to undertake field work in South Africa and Mozambique was granted by the Departments of Science and Technology and of Environmental Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of South Africa, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the iSimangaliso (formerly Greater St Lucia) Wetlands Park Authority and the Ministério das Pescas of the Republic of Mozambique and their co-operation is greatly appreciated. We thank the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Program and the South African Institute of Aquatic Biodiversity for sponsoring the participation of C.R.S. and K.J.S. in the ALG134 research cruise. C. Lawrence and J. Olbers (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), and M. Roberts, T. Morris and M. van den Berg (Marine and Coastal Management) kindly provided the data from underwater temperature recorders. C.R.S. was funded by a Claude Leon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship during the course of this research. This manuscript was improved by the valuable comments of three anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Carlos Ruiz Sebastián

    Present address: Marine Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Advanced Research Center for Applied Microbiology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, South Africa

    Carlos Ruiz Sebastián & Donald A. Cowan

  2. Kirstenbosch Research Center, South Africa National Biodiversity Institute, Claremont, 7735, South Africa

    Kerry J. Sink

  3. Ezemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife, 4013, Congella, Durban, South Africa

    Kerry J. Sink

  4. Marine Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2000 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY, 10460-1099, USA

    Timothy R. McClanahan

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  1. Carlos Ruiz Sebastián
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Correspondence to Carlos Ruiz Sebastián.

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Communicated by U. Sommer.

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Ruiz Sebastián, C., Sink, K.J., McClanahan, T.R. et al. Bleaching response of corals and their Symbiodinium communities in southern Africa. Mar Biol 156, 2049–2062 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1236-8

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