Interactive effects of herbicides and higher sea surface temperatures on Great Barrier Reef corals and crustose coralline algae (MTSRF Project 3.7.1a)

The coral, Acropora millepora and the crustose coralline algae, Neogoniolithon fosliei were exposed to 3 photosystem II (PSII) herbicides (diuron, hexazinone and atrazine). Corals were collected at depths between 1 and 3m from Double Cone Island and Hayman Island in the Whitsunday group. The crustose coralline algae was collected from Davies Reef at depths between 5 and 7m.Experiments assessed the effects of the variables temperature (26, 30, 31, 32 °C) in combination with 3 herbicide concentrations, and exposure duration (up to 7 days) on photosynthetic efficiency and bleaching.
To examine the effects of the herbicides diuron, atrazine and hexazinone in conjunction with increasing temperatures on coral and crustose coralline algae.

本实验将千孔鹿角珊瑚（Acropora millepora）与结壳型珊瑚藻（crustose coralline algae，Neogoniolithon fosliei）暴露于3种光系统II（photosystem II, PSII）类除草剂，即敌草隆（diuron）、嗪草酮（hexazinone）与阿特拉津（atrazine）中。珊瑚样本采集自降灵群岛群的双锥岛与海曼岛，采集水深为1~3米；结壳型珊瑚藻样本采集自戴维斯礁，采集水深为5~7米。实验评估了温度梯度（26、30、31、32 ℃）与3种除草剂浓度、暴露时长（最长7天）的交互作用对光合效率及珊瑚白化的影响。本研究旨在探究敌草隆、阿特拉津与嗪草酮三种除草剂配合升温胁迫对珊瑚与结壳型珊瑚藻的影响。