The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Depth-dependant response to light of the reef building coral, Pocillopora verrucosa: implication of oxidative stress

Depth-dependant response to light of the reef building coral, Pocillopora verrucosa: implication of oxidative stress
Depth-dependant response to light of the reef building coral, Pocillopora verrucosa: implication of oxidative stress
Several environmental factors have been described to trigger bleaching in cnidarian/dinoflagellate endosymbiosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process still need more investigations. Symbiosis breakdown is known to result from physiological damage to animal host cells and/or symbionts. Cellular oxidation appears to be an essential player in this damage. Indeed, oxidative stress is a direct consequence of increase in irradiance and temperature, the two main environmental factors involved in bleaching. In this study, we examined the role of irradiance in inducing dissociation and oxidative stress in cnidarians and dinoflagellates. We used the bleaching-sensitive scleractinian coral Pocillopora verrucosa in a field cross-transplantation experiment performed between 5 m and 20 m depth at Grande Glorieuse Island (Indian Ocean), a preserved area subject to minimal anthropogenic influence. Cellular damage and increase in antioxidant defense were correlated with bleaching in upward transplanted samples. Downward transplanted colonies presented no associated alterations similar to the controls. We therefore conclude that increasing light induced bleaching via a prooxidative period. Remarkably, the distribution of Symbiodinium over depth was invariant; all colonies were monomorph for clade C, suggesting that bleaching sensitivity of P. verrucosa might not be associated with clade specificity.
Antioxidant defenses, Bleaching, Cnidarian, Mozambique channel, Symbiodinium, Symbiosis, Transplantation experiment, Western Indian Ocean, Channel
0022-0981
48-56
Richier, Sophie
0fc0b375-6918-4c06-9d6f-229f6c4046ca
Cottalorda, Jean-Michel
a75d9114-6b6a-498f-a295-23cdfb796b5a
Guillaume, Mireille M.M.
26f0ec01-53e9-449a-8d16-3884af46cd39
Fernandez, Cyril
35b60b55-b3f5-4fae-aa62-f1692c071f60
Allemand, Denis
a9a9145a-9129-4827-83ae-f204d180d945
Furla, Paola
d3e7b181-371a-4a7a-8749-594e704d10d7
Richier, Sophie
0fc0b375-6918-4c06-9d6f-229f6c4046ca
Cottalorda, Jean-Michel
a75d9114-6b6a-498f-a295-23cdfb796b5a
Guillaume, Mireille M.M.
26f0ec01-53e9-449a-8d16-3884af46cd39
Fernandez, Cyril
35b60b55-b3f5-4fae-aa62-f1692c071f60
Allemand, Denis
a9a9145a-9129-4827-83ae-f204d180d945
Furla, Paola
d3e7b181-371a-4a7a-8749-594e704d10d7

Richier, Sophie, Cottalorda, Jean-Michel, Guillaume, Mireille M.M., Fernandez, Cyril, Allemand, Denis and Furla, Paola (2008) Depth-dependant response to light of the reef building coral, Pocillopora verrucosa: implication of oxidative stress. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 357 (1), 48-56. (doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2007.12.026).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Several environmental factors have been described to trigger bleaching in cnidarian/dinoflagellate endosymbiosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process still need more investigations. Symbiosis breakdown is known to result from physiological damage to animal host cells and/or symbionts. Cellular oxidation appears to be an essential player in this damage. Indeed, oxidative stress is a direct consequence of increase in irradiance and temperature, the two main environmental factors involved in bleaching. In this study, we examined the role of irradiance in inducing dissociation and oxidative stress in cnidarians and dinoflagellates. We used the bleaching-sensitive scleractinian coral Pocillopora verrucosa in a field cross-transplantation experiment performed between 5 m and 20 m depth at Grande Glorieuse Island (Indian Ocean), a preserved area subject to minimal anthropogenic influence. Cellular damage and increase in antioxidant defense were correlated with bleaching in upward transplanted samples. Downward transplanted colonies presented no associated alterations similar to the controls. We therefore conclude that increasing light induced bleaching via a prooxidative period. Remarkably, the distribution of Symbiodinium over depth was invariant; all colonies were monomorph for clade C, suggesting that bleaching sensitivity of P. verrucosa might not be associated with clade specificity.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 17 March 2008
Keywords: Antioxidant defenses, Bleaching, Cnidarian, Mozambique channel, Symbiodinium, Symbiosis, Transplantation experiment, Western Indian Ocean, Channel
Organisations: Ocean Biochemistry & Ecosystems

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 341914
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/341914
ISSN: 0022-0981
PURE UUID: 54c76c0a-31e1-48fd-bcc6-5aa14c4e5772

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 10 Aug 2012 13:07
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 11:45

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Sophie Richier
Author: Jean-Michel Cottalorda
Author: Mireille M.M. Guillaume
Author: Cyril Fernandez
Author: Denis Allemand
Author: Paola Furla

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×