Thermal compensation of metabolism in the temperate coral, Plesiastrea versipora (Lamarck, 1816)

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology Vol. 259; no. 2; pp. 231 - 248
• Main Authors: Howe, Steffan A, Marshall, Alan T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.05.2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Acclimation; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Australia; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Compensation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; Photosynthesis; Plesiastrea versipora; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Respiration; Symbiosis; Temperature; Indian Ocean; Australia; Port Phillip Bay; Oceania; PSE, Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip Bay; Symbiosis; Temperature; Photosynthesis; Respiration; Compensation; Acclimation; Algae; Environmental factor; Oxygen consumption; Autotrophy; Temperate zone; Coastal zone; Marine environment; Coelenterata; Dinophyta; Thermal compensation; Coral; Cnidaria; Invertebrata; Thallophyta; Adaptation
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0981(01)00230-1

Plesiastrea versipora is a hermatypic coral with a distribution that extends to the southern limit for hermatypic corals. The normal annual temperature range for this coral in Port Phillip Bay (Victoria) (approximately 10–21°C) is well below the physiological optimum for the majority of hermatypic corals (25–29°C). The rate of photosynthesis and respiration in Plesiastrea generally increased with temperature before levelling out at the higher temperatures, with Q 10 data suggesting that both photosynthesis and respiration in Plesiastrea acclimate to changing temperatures. Respiration showed a similar trend to photosynthesis, with respect to temperature, but with a slightly lower rate of increase. Photosynthetic rate in Plesiastrea is comparable with that of reef corals despite lower temperatures and irradiance. When expressed as a function of chlorophyll a content photosynthesis approached perfect temperature compensation with prolonged exposure to various temperatures. Temperature-dependent changes with chlorophyll content may be responsible for temperature related changes in photosynthetic rate. This may be a mechanism for stabilising the symbiotic relationship over a wide temperature range. Autotrophic ability, estimated from photosynthesis/respiration ( P/ R) ratios, was greatest at higher temperatures and was only slightly less than that of reef corals. At low temperatures Plesiastrea may be dependent on heterotrophic feeding.