Similar thermal breadth of temperate and tropical coral species

Temperate organisms are generally exposed to a more variable and cooler climate than tropical organisms, and are therefore expected to have a broader thermal tolerance and higher capacity for acclimation. This study investigated this hypothesis by comparing the thermal performance of two common tropical coral species found in the Great Barrier Reef with two temperate coral species from the Mediterranean Sea. Photosynthesis rates, respiration rates, maximum PSII quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and electron transport rates (rETRm) were measured on coral fragments exposed to an acute temperature increase and decrease above and below the average environmental seawater temperature.