Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2024, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (3): 49-57.doi: 10.11978/2022171cstr: 32234.14.2022171

• Marine Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of ocean acidification and warming on the growth and calcification of two reef-building corals*

ZHOU Weihua1,2,3(), LI Yingxin1,2,3,4, GUO Yajuan5, HUO Jiaxin1,2,3,4, SONG Yan1,2,3,4, ZHU Qing1,2,3,4, YUAN Xiangcheng1,2,3(), LIU Sheng1,2,3, HUANG Hui1,2,3   

  1. 1. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
    2. CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research; Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya 572000, China
    3. Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station; Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
    4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    5. Testing Center of Marine Environment, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
  • Received:2022-07-29 Revised:2022-08-30 Online:2024-05-10 Published:2023-04-07
  • Supported by:
    Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2022A1515010656); National Natural Science Foundation of China(31370500); Key Research and Development Project of Hainan Province(ZDYF2020200)

Abstract:

To explore the effects of ocean warming and acidification on coral growth and calcification rate, two widespread coral species, Pocillopora damicornis and Galaxea fascicularis, in the Luhuitou area of the Sanya Bay, were selected for a 28-days controlled incubation experiment. With the interactive treatments of temperatures and pCO2, our results indicated that corals were significantly affected by seawater acidification. Moreover, acidification affected strongly the growth rate of G. fascicularis and the calcification rate of P. damicornis. The chlorophyll fluorescence index (Fv/Fm) of the symbiotic zooxanthellae in P. damicornis was significantly higher than G. fascicularis. Interestingly, the quantitative study showed that there was an antagonistic effect between temperature and pH at some levels, which could effectively alleviate coral bleaching. Thus, we concluded that the growth and calcification rate exhibited interspecific specificity in response to seawater warming and acidification.

Key words: Pocillopora damicornis, Galaxea fascicularis, acidification, warming, growth, calcification