Effects of coal contamination on early life history processes of a reef-building coral, Acropora tenuis

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 114; no. 1; pp. 505 - 514
• Main Authors: Berry, Kathryn L.E., Hoogenboom, Mia O., Brinkman, Diane L., Burns, Kathryn A., Negri, Andrew P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15-01-2017
• Subjects: Acropora tenuis; Animals; Anthozoa; Coal; Coral Reefs; Coral reproduction; Fertilisation; Great Barrier Reef; Larva; Life Cycle Stages; Marine; Marine contamination; Settlement; Suspended particles; Water Pollutants; Settlement; Fertilisation; Coal; Marine contamination; Coral reproduction; Suspended particles; Great Barrier Reef
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.10.011

Successful reproduction and larval dispersal are important for the persistence of marine invertebrate populations, and these early life history processes can be sensitive to marine pollution. Coal is emerging as a contaminant of interest due to the proximity of ports and shipping lanes to coral reefs. To assess the potential hazard of this contaminant, gametes, newly developed embryos, larvae and juveniles of the coral Acropora tenuis were exposed to a range of coal leachate, suspended coal, and coal smothering treatments. Fertilisation was the most sensitive reproductive process tested. Embryo survivorship decreased with increasing suspended coal concentrations and exposure duration, effects on larval settlement varied between treatments, while effects on juvenile survivorship were minimal. Leachate exposures had negligible effects on fertilisation and larval settlement. These results indicate that coral recruitment could be affected by spills that produce plumes of suspended coal particles which interact with gametes and embryos soon after spawning.
•Fertilisation of gametes was the most sensitive early life process to coal exposure•Embryo survivorship decreased with increasing coal and exposure duration•The effects of coal on larval settlement varied across the tested experimental scenarios•Coal leachate had negligible effects on fertilization and larval settlement. Impacts on juvenile survivorship were limited.