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Sea star wasting syndrome (SSWS) can cause widespread mortality in starfish populations as well as long-lasting changes to benthic community structure and dynamics. SSWS symptoms have been documented in numerous species and locations around the world, but to date there is only one record of SSWS from the Antarctic and this outbreak was associated with volcanically-driven high temperature anomalies. Here we report outbreaks of SSWS-like symptoms that affected ~30% of individuals of Odontaster validus at two different sites in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica in 2019 and 2022. Unlike many SSWS events in other parts of the world, these outbreaks were not associated with anomalously warm temperatures. Instead, we suggest they may have been triggered by high nutrient input events on a local scale. Although the exact cause of these outbreaks is not known, these findings are of great concern because of the keystone role of O . validus and the slow recovery rate of Antarctic benthic ecosystems to environmental stressors. 

Climate change poses a major threat to coral reefs. We conducted an outdoor 22-month experiment to investigate if coral could not just survive, but also physiologically cope, with chronic ocean warming and acidification conditions expected later this century under the Paris Climate Agreement. We recorded survivorship and measured eleven phenotypic traits to evaluate the holobiont responses of Hawaiian coral: color, Symbiodiniaceae density, calcification, photosynthesis, respiration, total organic carbon flux, carbon budget, biomass, lipids, protein, and maximumArtemiacapture rate. Survivorship was lowest inMontipora capitataand only some survivors were able to meet metabolic demand and physiologically cope with future ocean conditions. MostM. capitatasurvivors bleached through loss of chlorophyll pigments and simultaneously experienced increased respiration rates and negative carbon budgets due to a 236% increase in total organic carbon losses under combined future ocean conditions.Porites compressaandPorites lobatahad the highest survivorship and coped well under future ocean conditions with positive calcification and increased biomass, maintenance of lipids, and the capacity to exceed their metabolic demand through photosynthesis and heterotrophy. Thus, our findings show that significant biological diversity within resilient corals likePorites, and some genotypes of sensitive species, will persist this century provided atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are controlled. SincePoritescorals are ubiquitous throughout the world’s oceans and often major reef builders, the persistence of this resilient genus provides hope for future reef ecosystem function globally.

 

Under current climate warming predictions, the future of coral reefs is dire. With projected coral reef decline, it is likely that coral specimens for bleaching research will increasingly become a more limited resource in the future. By adopting a holistic approach through increased collaborations, coral bleaching scientists can maximize a specimen’s investigative yield, thus reducing the need to remove more coral material from the reef. Yet to expand a specimen’s utility for additional analytic methods, information on how corals are collected is essential as many methods are variably sensitive to upstream handling and processing. In an effort to identify common practices for coral collection, sacrifice, preservation, and processing in coral bleaching research, we surveyed the literature from the last 6.5 years and created and analyzed the resulting dataset of 171 publications. Since January 2014, at least 21,890 coral specimens were collected for bleaching surveys or bleaching experiments. These specimens spanned 122 species of scleractinian corals where the most frequently sampled were Acropora millepora , Pocillopora damicornis , and Stylophora pistillata . Almost 90% of studies removed fragments from the reef, 6% collected skeletal cores, and 3% collected mucus specimens. The most common methods for sacrificing specimens were snap freezing with liquid nitrogen, chemical preservation (e.g., with ethanol or nucleic acid stabilizing buffer), or airbrushing live fragments. We also characterized 37 distinct methodological pathways from collection to processing of specimens in preparation for a variety of physiological, -omic, microscopy, and imaging analyses. Interestingly, almost half of all studies used only one of six different pathways. These similarities in collection, preservation, and processing methods illustrate that archived coral specimens could be readily shared among researchers for additional analyses. In addition, our review provides a reference for future researchers who are considering which methodological pathway to select to maximize the utility of coral bleaching specimens that they collect. 

Abstract For over three decades, scientists have conducted heat-stress experiments to predict how coral will respond to ocean warming due to global climate change. However, there are often conflicting results in the literature that are difficult to resolve, which we hypothesize are a result of unintended biases, variation in experimental design, and underreporting of critical methodological information. Here, we reviewed 255 coral heat-stress experiments to (1) document where and when they were conducted and on which species, (2) assess variability in experimental design, and (3) quantify the diversity of response variables measured. First, we found that two-thirds of studies were conducted in only three countries, three coral species were more heavily studied than others, and only 4% of studies focused on earlier life stages. Second, slightly more than half of all heat-stress exposures were less than 8 d in duration, only 17% of experiments fed corals, and experimental conditions varied widely, including the level and rate of temperature increase, light intensity, number of genets used, and the length of acclimation period. In addition, 95%, 55%, and > 35% of studies did not report tank flow conditions, light–dark cycle used, or the date of the experiment, respectively. Finally, we found that 21% of experiments did not measure any bleaching phenotype traits, 77% did not identify the Symbiodiniaceae endosymbiont, and the contribution of the coral host in the physiological response to heat-stress was often not investigated. This review highlights geographic, taxonomic, and heat-stress duration biases in our understanding of coral bleaching, and large variability in the reporting and design of heat-stress experiments that could account for some of the discrepancies in the literature. Development of some best practice recommendations for coral bleaching experiments could improve cross-studies comparisons and increase the efficiency of coral bleaching research at a time when it is needed most. 

Coral reefs are declining worldwide primarily because of bleaching and subsequent mortality resulting from thermal stress. Currently, extensive efforts to engage in more holistic research and restoration endeavors have considerably expanded the techniques applied to examine coral samples. Despite such advances, coral bleaching and restoration studies are often conducted within a specific disciplinary focus, where specimens are collected, preserved, and archived in ways that are not always conducive to further downstream analyses by specialists in other disciplines. This approach may prevent the full utilization of unexpended specimens, leading to siloed research, duplicative efforts, unnecessary loss of additional corals to research endeavors, and overall increased costs. A recent US National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop set out to consolidate our collective knowledge across the disciplines of Omics, Physiology, and Microscopy and Imaging regarding the methods used for coral sample collection, preservation, and archiving. Here, we highlight knowledge gaps and propose some simple steps for collecting, preserving, and archiving coral-bleaching specimens that can increase the impact of individual coral bleaching and restoration studies, as well as foster additional analyses and future discoveries through collaboration. Rapid freezing of samples in liquid nitrogen or placing at −80 °C to −20 °C is optimal for most Omics and Physiology studies with a few exceptions; however, freezing samples removes the potential for many Microscopy and Imaging-based analyses due to the alteration of tissue integrity during freezing. For Microscopy and Imaging, samples are best stored in aldehydes. The use of sterile gloves and receptacles during collection supports the downstream analysis of host-associated bacterial and viral communities which are particularly germane to disease and restoration efforts. Across all disciplines, the use of aseptic techniques during collection, preservation, and archiving maximizes the research potential of coral specimens and allows for the greatest number of possible downstream analyses. 

Corals obtain nutrition from the photosynthetic products of their algal endosymbionts and the ingestion of organic material and zooplankton from the water column. Here, we use stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotopes to assess the proportionate contribution of photoautotrophic and heterotrophic sources to seven Hawaiian coral species collected from six locations around the island of O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi. We analyzed the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of coral tissues and their algal endosymbionts, as well as that of dissolved inorganic matter, particulate organic matter, and zooplankton from each site. Estimates of heterotrophic contribution varied among coral species and sites. Bayesian mixing models revealed that heterotrophic sources (particulate organic material and zooplankton) contributed the most toPocillopora acutaandMontipora patulacoral tissues at 49.3% and 48.0%, respectively, and the least toPorites lobataat 28.7%, on average. Estimates of heterotrophic contribution based on the difference between δ¹³C of the host and algal endosymbiont (δ¹³C_h–e) and isotopic niche overlap often differed, while estimates based on δ¹⁵N_h–ewere slightly more aligned with the estimates produced using Bayesian mixing models. These findings suggest that the utility of each approach may vary with coral health status, regions, and coral species. Overall, we find that the mean heterotrophic contribution to Hawaiian coral tissues ranges from 20% to 50%, suggesting a variety of trophic strategies. However, these findings did not always match past direct measurements of heterotrophic feeding, indicating that heterotrophically acquired nutrition does not necessarily get incorporated into tissues but can be respired or exuded in mucus.

 

The global impacts of climate change are evident in every marine ecosystem. On coral reefs, mass coral bleaching and mortality have emerged as ubiquitous responses to ocean warming, yet one of the greatest challenges of this epiphenomenon is linking information across scientific disciplines and spatial and temporal scales. Here we review some of the seminal and recent coral‐bleaching discoveries from an ecological, physiological, and molecular perspective. We also evaluate which data and processes can improve predictive models and provide a conceptual framework that integrates measurements across biological scales. Taking an integrative approach across biological and spatial scales, using for example hierarchical models to estimate major coral‐reef processes, will not only rapidly advance coral‐reef science but will also provide necessary information to guide decision‐making and conservation efforts. To conserve reefs, we encourage implementing mesoscale sanctuaries (thousands of km²) that transcend national boundaries. Such networks of protected reefs will provide reef connectivity, through larval dispersal that transverse thermal environments, and genotypic repositories that may become essential units of selection for environmentally diverse locations. Together, multinational networks may be the best chance corals have to persist through climate change, while humanity struggles to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero.