| Project/Area Number |
20K06210
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 40030:Aquatic bioproduction science-related
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| Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
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Principal Investigator |
Sinniger Frederic 琉球大学, 熱帯生物圏研究センター, ポスドク研究員 (10625940)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
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| Keywords | Scleractinia / coral / mesophotic / Biodiversity / coral communities |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
Coral reefs are threatened by ocean warming. In consequences of the global warming, shallow corals have expanded their distribution range poleward. In the recent years, coral reefs below 30 m depth (called mesophotic coral ecosystems or MCEs), have been suggested to act as refuge for shallow corals. However, MCEs are also host unique communities. This project will compare MCEs communities at different latitudes (i.e. with different temperature regimes), in order to estimate the potential of deep corals to shift their distribution range or to resist to higher temperatures in a warming ocean.
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
This research revealed the differences in thermal thresholds of various mesophotic coral species by comparing them with shallow counterparts. Interestingly, while the absolute maximum temperature threshold was lower in mesophotic corals, these deeper coral could tolerate a higher level of thermal stress when measured in terms of difference from the temperatures they are used to (degree heating week). We also confirmed that Seriatopora, a model coral for the Deep reef refugia hypothesis, contained cryptic diversity, but this diversity is not related to the depth. The new development of this research was to expand to the coral triangle and we could show similarities in the Seriatopora genetic diversity between Okinawa and the Philippines, while Indonesia had a higher level of localised diversity within Seriatopora. Some genotypes present from Japan to Indonesia suggest that some of these corals may be able to survive the warming ocean in Okinawa.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
This project showed the importance of the local adaptation of corals to their environment and finding the same species at different latitudes (or depths) does not means they can rapidly transfer from one location to the other.
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