Symbiont physiology and population dynamics before and during symbiont shifts in a flexible algal‐cnidarian symbiosis

Symbiont physiology and population dynamics before and during symbiont shifts in a flexible algal‐cnidarian symbiosis

For cnidarians that can undergo shifts in algal symbiont relative abundance, the underlying algal physiological changes that accompany these shifts are not well known. The sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima associates with the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium muscatinei and the chlorophyte Elliptochlo...

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Published in:Journal of phycology Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 1074 - 1083
Main Authors: Dimond, James L, Bingham, Brian L, Muller‐Parker, Gisè, Oakley, Clinton A, Bassi, R
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Phycological Society of America 01-12-2013
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
Subjects:
Anthopleura
Anthopleura elegantissima
Anthozoa
bleaching
chlorophyll
cnidarian-algal symbiosis
Elliptochloris
heat
light intensity
littoral zone
Marine
photophysiology
physiology
pigments
population dynamics
shade
solar radiation
summer
Symbiodinium
Symbiodinium muscatinei
symbiont shuffling
symbionts
symbiosis
temperature
Elliptochloris
bleaching
cnidarian-algal symbiosis
Anthopleura
photophysiology
symbiont shuffling
Symbiodinium
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Summary:For cnidarians that can undergo shifts in algal symbiont relative abundance, the underlying algal physiological changes that accompany these shifts are not well known. The sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima associates with the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium muscatinei and the chlorophyte Elliptochloris marina, symbionts with very different tolerances to light and temperature. We compared the performance of these symbionts in anemones maintained in an 8–11.5 month outdoor common garden experiment with simulated intertidal conditions and three levels of shading (2, 43, and 85% ambient irradiance). Symbiont densities, mitotic indices, photophysiology and pigments were assessed at three time points during the summer, a period of high irradiance and solar heating during aerial exposure. Whereas S. muscatinei was either neutrally or positively affected by higher irradiance treatments, E. marina responded mostly negatively to high irradiance. E. marina in the 85% irradiance treatment exhibited significantly reduced Pₘₐₓ and chlorophyll early in the summer, but it was not until nearly 3 months later that a shift in symbiont relative abundance toward S. muscatinei occurred, coincident with bleaching. Symbiont densities and proportions remained largely stable in all other treatments over time, and displacement of S. muscatinei by E. marina was not observed in the 2% irradiance treatment despite the potentially better performance of E. marina. While our results support the view that rapid changes in symbiont relative abundance are typically associated with symbiont physiological dysfunction and bleaching, they also show that significant temporal lags may occur between the onset of symbiont stress and shifts in symbiont relative abundances.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpy.12112
ark:/67375/WNG-0G7PBVN1-5
ArticleID:JPY12112
NSF - No. IOS-0822179; No. OCE-0741372; No. OCE-0551898
istex:8532D795B80B00BC055086A472DAB9A3D3B6EF13
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0022-3646
1529-8817
DOI:10.1111/jpy.12112