Porites astreoidesWIKIMEDIA COMMONS, JAMES ST JOHNCompared with their offshore counterparts, corals that dwell close to the shoreline must contend with more-variable temperatures, turbid waters, and increased pollution. But for all the stresses of living inshore, in a November 7 Nature Ecology & Evolution paper researchers reported several genetic advantages. Inshore coral seem better able to adapt gene expression to suit new environments than offshore coral, the authors showed. The study is the first to demonstrate gene expression plasticity in coral, and the results could help researchers better predict how individual species will respond to climate change.
“The inshore coral acquired the ability to dynamically alter their gene expression. They were more responsive to the environment, more willing and able to change,” said coauthor Mikhail Matz, an associate professor of integrative biology at the University of Texas at Austin. “This is the first case we have shown in any [coral] population that adaptation happens at the level of gene expression plasticity.”
Rising sea surface temperatures have already compromised nearly 4,600 square miles of coral, as colorful symbiotic algae flee their reefs and leave behind the bone-white remains of their overheated hosts. A handful of coral species seem to be adapting to rising temperatures but, until now, the genetic underpinnings of that process remained mystery.
“Inshore environments are considered more affected by human ...
