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Coral mass spawning predicted by rapid seasonal rise in ocean temperature

Keith SA 1 , Maynard JA 2 , Edwards AJ 3 , Guest JR 4 , Bauman AG 5 , van Hooidonk R 6 Show all authors , Heron SF 7 , Berumen ML 8 , Bouwmeester J 9 , Piromvaragorn S 10 , Rahbek C 11 , Baird AH 12

Affiliations 

  • 1 Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia [email protected]
  • 2 SymbioSeas and the Marine Applied Research Center, Wilmington, NC 28411, USA Laboratoire d'Excellence «CORAIL» USR 3278 CNRS - EPHE, CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
  • 3 School of Biology, Newcastle University, Ridley Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
  • 4 SECORE International, 40 Jalan Anjung 5, Horizon Hills, Nusajaya 79100, Johor, Malaysia
  • 5 Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
  • 6 Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, NOAA, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA
  • 7 NOAA Coral Reef Watch, 675 Ross River Road, Townsville, Queensland 4817, Australia Marine Geophysical Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
  • 8 Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23599-6900, Saudi Arabia
  • 9 Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23599-6900, Saudi Arabia Department of Geology and Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
  • 10 Center of Excellence for Biodiversity of Peninsular Thailand, Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
  • 11 Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
  • 12 ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
Proc Biol Sci, 2016 05 11;283(1830).
PMID: 27170709 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0011

Abstract

Coral spawning times have been linked to multiple environmental factors; however, to what extent these factors act as generalized cues across multiple species and large spatial scales is unknown. We used a unique dataset of coral spawning from 34 reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans to test if month of spawning and peak spawning month in assemblages of Acropora spp. can be predicted by sea surface temperature (SST), photosynthetically available radiation, wind speed, current speed, rainfall or sunset time. Contrary to the classic view that high mean SST initiates coral spawning, we found rapid increases in SST to be the best predictor in both cases (month of spawning: R(2) = 0.73, peak: R(2) = 0.62). Our findings suggest that a rapid increase in SST provides the dominant proximate cue for coral mass spawning over large geographical scales. We hypothesize that coral spawning is ultimately timed to ensure optimal fertilization success.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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