Tiny, symbiotic algae are dotted through this young coral polyp. Can algae, bred to handle higher temperatures, help prevent coral bleaching?
Corals live in a symbiotic relationship with many microbes, including tiny, photosynthetic algae that provide the coral with most of their energy. When temperatures become too warm this relationship breaks down, causing the algae to be lost from the coral animal and turning it white. This is known as coral bleaching.
We are looking for new ways to help corals resist higher temperatures, and prevent them from bleaching.
Recent research has shown that when isolated, algal symbionts can be bred in the lab to withstand higher temperatures. However, it is unclear if this tolerance helps the coral withstand bleaching.
In this project, young coral (recruits of Acropora tenuis) will be inoculated with lab-evolved and wild type algae. We will test whether the increased thermal tolerance of the lab-evolved algae is also expressed when in symbiosis with coral. We will examine their survival, growth, photosynthetic performance, the amount of toxic oxygen radicals produced and the nutrient exchange between the algae and the coral host.
