A deep-sea perspective on coral resilience in a changing world

不断变化的世界中珊瑚恢复力的深海视角

• 批准号: NE/X00127X/1
• 负责人: Laura Robinson
• 金额: $ 81.76万
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FX00127X%2F1
• 关键词: deep; sea; perspective; coral; resilience

The ocean is undergoing large scale physical, chemical and biological changes which are causing major ecosystem-scale shifts. The impact is clearly evident in shallow continental shelf waters easily accessible to local communities, the fishing industry, and scientists (e.g. increased coral reef bleaching, dwindling fish yields, blooms in nuisance algae and jellyfish). Changes in the deep sea are potentially as dramatic, with equally challenging long-term consequences (e.g. rising temperatures and lowering pH and oxygen levels) especially in the high latitudes. However, these changes are less visible to the general public and are chronically understudied given the logistical challenges of access to the deep sea. Even with increasing recognition of the intrinsic (e.g. biodiversity, blue carbon storage) and economic value (e.g. natural pharmaceuticals, heavy metal resources, fisheries nurseries) of the deep sea, there remain glaring gaps in our understanding of the resilience and vulnerability of the organisms which make up the major habitats of the deep. Particularly important in this regard are the extensive deep-sea habitats formed by calcifying corals. These corals can live for thousands of years and they form vast, diverse habitats in a surprisingly dynamic environment where food supply is controlled by falling particles from the surface and ever-changing currents. However, changes such as ocean acidification, food supply, and declining oxygen levels have the potential to reduce the ability of corals to produce their skeletons effectively. If corals were able to manipulate the composition of their skeletons to be more resilient to these changes, this would represent a key survival strategy in a rapidly changing world. Despite hints that some corals may have this ability, we do not know which taxa, or under what conditions, thus hampering effective marine conservation strategies.In this project we intend to compare three habitat-forming coral taxa which exhibit contrasting modes of skeleton growth likely to dictate their vulnerability to external stress. Scleractinia calcify aragonite and are able to the modify seawater in which they grow so that they can live in low pH waters. Octocorals form their skeletons from calcite, which is more resistant to dissolution than aragonite. Stylasterids have the capacity to form from either aragonite or calcite, and as yet it is not known how they survive in low pH waters. Surprisingly, the phylogenetic tree for these corals is very poorly constrained, making it challenging to assess the relationships between the taxa or even to identify species. Using new genomic and geochemical data, together with a systematic examination of how and where corals grow in the modern ocean, we will be in a unique position to distinguish internal biological controls of coral biomineralization from external influences. We have exceptional access to deep-sea coral collections which will allow us to build the first phylogenomic framework for understanding mineralisation and susceptibility to external pressure in environmentally-critical, habitat-forming deep-sea corals. This will help us understand which deep-sea corals may be vulnerable to current and future climate change, and what environmental parameters are required for coral growth. These data will be used to better protect vulnerable marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean via input to the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research which provides objective and independent scientific advice to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings.

海洋正在经历大规模的物理，化学和生物学变化，这会导致重大的生态系统尺度变化。在当地社区，捕鱼行业和科学家容易进入的浅色大陆架水中，这种影响显而易见（例如，珊瑚礁漂白量增加，鱼的产量减少，滋扰藻类和水母的盛开）。深海的变化可能是戏剧性的，长期后果（例如温度升高，pH和氧气水平降低），尤其是在高纬度地区。但是，考虑到进入深海的后勤挑战，这些变化对公众不太明显，并且长期被研究了。即使对深海的内在（例如生物多样性，蓝色碳储存）和经济价值（例如，天然药品，重金属资源，渔业托儿所）的认识越来越大，我们对构成深层养护的生物的弹性和脆弱性的理解仍然存在明显的差距。在这方面尤其重要的是钙化珊瑚形成的广泛的深海栖息地。这些珊瑚可以生存数千年，它们在令人惊讶的动态环境中形成庞大的，多样化的栖息地，在这种环境中，食物供应受到地表和不断变化的电流的掉落而控制的。但是，诸如海洋酸化，食物供应和氧气水平下降之类的变化有可能降低珊瑚有效产生其骨骼的能力。如果珊瑚能够操纵其骨骼的组成使这些变化更具弹性，那么这将代表一个迅速变化的世界中的关键生存策略。尽管有些珊瑚可能具有这种能力，但我们不知道哪种分类单元或在什么条件下，从而阻碍了有效的海洋保护策略。在本项目中，我们打算比较三种形成栖息地的珊瑚群体，这些珊瑚形成型的骨骼生长模式可能使其易受外部压力的脆弱性。巩膜钙化钙化，并能够在其生长的海水中进行修改，以便它们可以生活在低pH水域中。八角形形成了他们的骨骼，从方解石中，比后者对溶解性更具抗性。 Stylasterids有能力从后期或方解石形成，但尚不清楚它们如何在低pH水域中生存。令人惊讶的是，这些珊瑚的系统发育树受到很大的约束，因此评估分类单元甚至识别物种之间的关系具有挑战性。使用新的基因组和地球化学数据，以及对现代海洋中珊瑚生长的方式和地点的系统检查，我们将处于独特的位置，将珊瑚生物矿化的内部生物控制与外部影响区分开。我们可以出色地获得深海珊瑚收集，这将使我们能够建立第一个系统基因组框架，以理解矿化框架和对环境至关重要的栖息地深海珊瑚的外部压力的敏感性。这将有助于我们了解哪些深海珊瑚可能容易受到当前和未来的气候变化的影响，以及珊瑚生长所需的环境参数。这些数据将用于更好地保护南海中南大洋中的脆弱海洋生态系统，这是对南极科学委员会的投入，该委员会为南极条约协商会议提供了客观和独立的科学建议。

项目成果

Ba/Ca of stylasterid coral skeletons records dissolved seawater barium concentrations

• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121355
• 发表时间: 2023-02-24
• 期刊: CHEMICAL GEOLOGY
• 影响因子: 3.9
• 作者: Kershaw，James;Stewart，Joseph A.;Haussermann，Vreni
• 通讯作者: Haussermann，Vreni

Iodine-to-calcium ratios in deep-sea scleractinian and bamboo corals

深海石珊瑚和竹珊瑚的碘钙比

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1264380
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Frontiers in Marine Science
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Sun, Yun-Ju;Robinson, Laura F.;Parkinson, Ian J.;Stewart, Joseph A.;Lu, Wanyi;Hardisty, Dalton S.;Liu, Qian;Kershaw, James;LaVigne, Michèle;Horner, Tristan J.
• 通讯作者: Horner, Tristan J.