Ion transporter gene expression is linked to the thermal sensitivity of calcification in the reef coral Stylophora pistillata.

ABSTRACT: Coral calcification underpins biodiverse reef ecosystems, but the physiology underlying the thermal sensitivity of corals to changing seawater temperatures remains unclear. Furthermore, light is also a key factor in modulating calcification rates, but a mechanistic understanding of how light interacts with temperature to affect coral calcification is lacking. Here, we characterized the thermal performance curve (TPC) of calcification of the wide-spread, model coral species Stylophora pistillata, and used gene expression analysis to investigate the role of ion transport mechanisms in thermally-driven declines in day and nighttime calcification. Focusing on genes linked to transport of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), calcium and H⁺, our study reveals a high degree of coherence b

SUBMITTER: Bernardet C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6904480 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature