2022 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Identifying "super corals" in Mauritius: what physiological factors promote high recovery after bleaching?
| Project/Area Number |
18KK0298
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| Research Institution | Shizuoka University |
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Principal Investigator |
CASARETO Beatriz 静岡大学, 創造科学技術大学院, 特任教授 (60402244)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
藤原 健智 静岡大学, 創造科学技術大学院, 教授 (80209121)
鈴木 利幸 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 研究補助員 (80537283) [Withdrawn]
天野 豊己 静岡大学, 理学部, 准教授 (90297945)
RAMPHUL CHITRA 静岡大学, 創造科学技術大学院, 研究員 (20832661) [Withdrawn]
Aussanee Yamaguchi 静岡大学, 創造科学技術大学院, 研究員 (00830374)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-10-09 – 2024-03-31
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| Keywords | Mauritius / Super Coral / coral bleaching / oxidative stress / thermal tolerant / genome analysis / Symbiodiniaceae / physiological factor |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This study aims to describe the physiological mechanisms that promote a successful response of thermally tolerant corals, which we define as “super corals". We surveyed two target reefs: Albion (A) (shallow, human impacted) and Belle-Mare (BM) (deep, less affected). We sampled 17 and 19 coral colonies in A and BM respectively. Results from these studies showed that rather than in A, corals in BM were highly exposed to stressful condition judging from the high allomer/Chl-a indicating oxidative stress condition of symbionts and the total holobiont affected judging from the high gly/glu ratio in the tissues of corals from BM. Nevertheless, these corals were successful in keeping high Fv/Fm with healthy zooxanthellae with high Chl-a/cell. High % of the bacterium Endozoicomonas in Pocillopora corals at BM confirmed their healthy condition. The presence of Symbiodiniaceae of Clade D (Genus Durusdinium) (thermal resistant) reinforced “super coral” features. In terms of coral species, Pocillopora eydouxi, Pavona sp and Montipora sp were the species classified as "super corals". Surveys were continued by members of UoM and jointly analyzed during SU team visit to Mauritius in December 2022. We published 2 scientific papers in collaboration with Mauritius researchers. We participated in 2 international symposia with oral and poster presentations.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Due to the covid-19 we were not able to trip to Mauritius planed in March of 2022, however we had developed a number of activities in cooperation with the University of Mauritius: We developed 4 times on-line seminars for young researchers with about 20 participants each time. Other on-line meetings were held for data analysis and planning. University of Mauritius researchers developed monitoring surveys at the 2 selected sites and obtained physico-chemical data using loggers and biological (Fv/Fm) data from previous identified super corals. From December 3 to Dec.10 we visited Rep. of Mauritius for data analysis and report preparation based on field data taken by UoM during 2022. We had also accomplished training and education of young scientists on pico-nanoplankton evaluation as food source of corals. We accepted a post-doctor student under the UNESCO/K. Obuchi Young Researcher Fellowship from May to the end of July 2022 and a manuscript was submitted to for publication. During staying in Mauritius, we developed a workshop titled "Coral Reef in Warming Ocean" at UoM on December 8. We had published two joint papers in collaboration with Mauritius scientists (See below). We participated in 2 international symposia (see below).
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
We plan to visit Rep of Mauritius in April between 19 to 30, 2023, to continuing surveys and held a joint workshop. We plan to (a) Continuing surveys in the two selected reefs. (b) Evaluation of coral physiological responses using incubation under normal vs. stressful conditions of temperature and light with (3-4 days), and posterior recovery (4-6 days). Coral nubbins under normal (ambient) and stressful temperatures (plus 2 to 4 °C) and light (over 1500 micromol cm-2 sec-1) will be incubated to evaluate their responses in the reduction of oxidative stress and apoptosis, defense against infections, feeding under normal or bleached conditions. We will test posterior recovery capacity, by placing the corals back to ambient conditions. Experiments will be done at the University of Mauritius (UoM) laboratory.
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| Causes of Carryover |
We planned to visit Mauritius during February to March 2023 to get new data on the summer most stressful environmental condition, but one member of our team was tested positive for corona-virus one week before departure, so we postponed our trip to April, therefore we requested an extension to finalize the remaining surveys and experiments in Mauritius during the present fiscal year.
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Research Products
(6 results)
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[Journal Article] Photo-physiology of healthy-looking and diseased/health-compromised hard corals from Mauritius Island, Western Indian Ocean2023
Author(s)
JOGEE SHAKEEL YAVAN, JEETUN SRUTI, RICOT MELANIE, TALEB-HOSSENKHAN NAWSHEEN, MATTAN-MOORGAWA SUSHMA, KAULLYSING DEEPEEKA, RIEMANN PAULINE, BLANC LEA, CASARETO BEATRIZ ESTELA, SUZUKI YOSHIMI, BHAGOOLI RANJEET
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Journal Title
Indo Pacific Journal of Ocean Life
Volume: 7
Pages: 27-37
DOI
Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
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[Presentation] Investigating the impacts of Skeletal Eroding Band and Growth Anomalies on the photophysiology and skeletal morphology of Acropora muricata2022
Author(s)
Shakeel JOGEE, Theo MOREL, Teri BASTIEN, Sruti JEETUN, Melanie RICOT, Deepeeka KAULLYSING, Sushma MATTAN-MOORGAWA, Nawsheen TALEB-HOSSENKHAN, Beatriz Estela CASARETO, Ranjeet BHAGOOLI
Organizer
The 15th International Coral Reef Symposium, Bremen, Germany, July 2022
Int'l Joint Research
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